Neptunian Theory ReBirth: Return of The Phantom
by xnobody13
Summary: In a tale reborn to time, taking place in an altered reality with events similar to Mk2 occurring before, a horrifying villain known only as The Phantom apparently returns to Gamindustri, bringing back a lost Landmass filled with secret and remorse. As ou
1. PART 0: A Tale Forgotten

**Neptunian Theory Re;Birth: Return of The Phantom**

By Xnobody13

Chapter 1: In Which a Scene from the Past Clearly has no Bearing on Future Events  
Location: Unknown

_Many Years Ago..._

Deep within the thick forest, light beginning to shine through the leaves, a man adorned in a fine suit fit for business ran like there was no tomorrow. The rough terrain below his feet made navigation almost impossible, with his dress shoes barely matching the ground of tiny hills, gigantic roots, and plants that appeared to hold some ulterior motive. At times, he found himself tripping, but regardless of his fatigue, he continued to run, his heavy breathing masking the sheer terror in his eyes.

Looking around at the scenery, he found it dangerously hilarious that the place he once found solitude and peace was now quickly becoming his grave. He ran by a small flower field that, at one point in time, was a secret spot perfect for his research in the medicinal sciences; it was now just a memory, his longing for the past never to be heard. The trees around him, tall in their stature, all appeared to laugh at him, mocking his endless attempts to find some sort of salvation from the beings that dared to end him.

In his right hand was a briefcase, colored orange, though with a slight hint of rusting around its hinges. It was clearly heavy, making his run that much more difficult, but whatever resided within it must have truly been important, as every time he feel, he would always make sure that whatever was in it was okay.

In his other hand, or I guess I should say _on _his other hand, was a glove souped up with a few bells and whistles. Bulbs with a purple cover littered the knuckle portion of the design, with wires popping out of the fabric as it ran down towards his wrist. A small battery, along with some sort of compartment that held who knows what, were right below the palm, a rather impractical design for any glove to follow.

He once again tripped over a branch, the briefcase falling down into a small ditch. "No, no no no no!" He stammered, sliding about on the ground as he tried to reach and grab the extremely necessary item. Every time he reached, he looked back the path he traversed, sweat becoming beads on his face as the fear of being chased still prevailed. He didn't see anything noteworthy, but far off in the distance, the sounds of treads smacking against the rough ground echoed through the forest. It wouldn't be long before they got too close; once that occurred, his fate will already be determined.

At last, he managed to stretch just far enough to reach the handle of the case, and with a mighty grunt, he lifted it out of the ditch. Dusting off his pants (hoping it was the last time doing so), he continued on his blind trek throughout the growing maze of trees. "Just gotta keep going...gotta keep going..."

The treads of the deadly vehicles behind him sounded louder, with the apparent noise of a helicopter becoming more apparent as time went on. There was no doubt in his mind that, unless he could find a perfect hiding spot, running out in the open will surely get himself caught, or worse. However, besides the ditch for his case, there was nowhere for him to go. He merely ran here, thinking that that it was a bright idea. How reckless he was.

From behind, a voice spoke from a megaphone. "We know you are out there! Surrender and die with honor!"

The man brushed sweat off his face as he kept moving, his legs becoming horribly heavy as hundreds of hills greeted his path. He couldn't keep this up any longer, but whatever his goal was, he wouldn't stop until he reached it. "I can't...Dammit..."

Finally, the man reached a clearing; all the trees in the area were all pushed to the sides, allowing the grass in the area to grow as high as they wanted, with their coloring turning a scorched yellow. After all the years he spent living on this landmass, he never realized just how hot it could get on a daily business. The sun, high in the sky as the noon hour approached, brought its heated intensity down upon him, the trees offering no comfort from here on out.

Ahead of him were of course trees, but a few were just low enough that he could see just a little beyond them. Far in the distance was a gigantic mountain range, the longest one in the whole land. For whatever reason, he rose his hand towards it, raising a thumb so that it would eclipse one of the mountain peaks. It took some practice, but eventually he managed to completely obscure it.

Once that act was done, he looked down at his briefcase, somewhat dented now from all the falls. A deep sigh escaped his lips, and looked once more at the mountains. "It's a long shot...but if I can just..."

He had no idea what he was planning, but whatever it was, it would never come into fruition, for the fatigue he caused upon himself forced him to fall. His legs just couldn't handle his body anymore, and found himself acquainted with the ground once more, the dirt once again coating what might as well be a perfect suit.

"Damn it all."

He struggled as much as he could, but besides at least being able to stand, he couldn't even attempt to take a step, for any sudden movement would most certainly cause him to go careening down once more. He tried whatever he could to get his energy back, but no matter what he did, or had the chance to do, all would be for naught in the end, as the people coming towards him finally reached the clearing.

Thousands of tanks broke through the tree line, their barrels locked and ready to fire. Thousands of soldiers, clad in a dark-orange armor from head to toe, stood by these mechanical beasts, weapons of their own held between their hands. Visors blocked their eyes from being seen, though the tight formation upon their lips showed their angered emotions. High above, making the trees flutter by the sudden influx of wind, helicopters and hovering planes stood and watched, their own burning turrets aiming directly at the poor man.

For a whole army to bring everything they got in order to apprehend one sole individual, whatever that man had done must've been a complete tragedy.

The man in question, still fatigued but trepidation allowing him to stand, looked on in horror at the masses of those who he had wronged. For the past hour, maybe even more, they have chased him down. He managed to elude the army long enough, but when emotions are running high, it was only a matter of time before he was caught. Now, staring into the eyes of death himself, the man couldn't tell whether this was reality or fantasy.

However, he continued to stand against the face of adversity, though his knees were ready to give up whenever he was. The soldiers all began to aim their guns at him, going for both a high and low shot, hoping that by the end of all this, the man would be nothing short of being a discarded piece of rotten cheese.

On top of one of the tanks was a soldier with even heavier armor than the others. His gun, a stylized abomination of what I presume to be a shotgun, showcased his overall power and dominance over everyone else, and his gruff voice only added the cherry on top. He lowered his disturbing weapon as he took a megaphone from another fellow soldier. Raising the golden object high in the air, he shouted through it:

"Heathen, enough is enough! We have the whole area surrounded! Running any further now will only be a waste of both our times! If you choose to surrender now, your life will be ended with honor!"

His words meant nothing in the end, as the man knew that, no matter what the odds were or what he should expect to be his fate, he would never give in to these souls. He looked at the case in his hand, a painful whimper escaping his lips. He looked behind him towards the mountain range, and though he couldn't see anyone standing there, he knew the commander wasn't lying.

However, the man in the suit shook his head, fear completely evident but determination shinning in as well. "S-Sir, with all due respect, I did what I had to do! You must understand, please! If I didn't do it, drastic consequences-"

Another commander-like soldiers stood up on the tank, forcibly yanking the megaphone out of the other's hand. "You should be thankful that we are giving you the dignity of an honorable death! What you did will never, ever, be forgiven! We just feel kind today, but you are clearly not accepting it! Nothing will excuse what you have done!" Even after the horrid events, the soldiers still looked pretty snarky. Must be part of their culture.

The man looked at his case one more time, before looking at his glove-like thing, the sweat on his head pouring off onto the ground below. "No," he began, "I have my reasons. I warned her about everything, and she chose not to listen!" Tears began to fill his eyes as looked up to the sky. Though his emotions were tough and genuine, the soldiers didn't bare to show him any pity, to the point that they actually aimed their guns even higher than before. "You don't understand how hard this is on me! I never wanted her to die like this, but there was no other option!"

The commanders looked at one another and spat onto the ground. "How dare you make a mockery of her! You knew what you were doing, and there was absolutely no reason why you committed this heinous act against our land! Whatever you say from here on out will only interpreted as the words of a mad man!"

The first officer demanded the megaphone back to him, and when he took it, he looked at all of the soldiers behind him. With a hand gesture, he placed the voice amplifier up to his lips. "At this point, we aren't planning on any honorable death! We should never have had considered it in the first place, but that's just the way of the our home!" He made another hand gesture, which caused the soldiers to begin moving up. The business-suited man still didn't falter, but he could feel his heart beating extra quick. "On three!"

The man shook his head. "Please, I told you everything! Our lady wouldn't want this, and you know it!"

The commanders either didn't hear him, or chose to be blissfully ignorant. "1!"

"Please, if you do this, you will only be hurting yourself!"

"2!"

The man in the suit knew that there was no convincing them now; it was all a gamble in the end to begin with. Ready to accept his fate, he looked down at the briefcase yet again, knowing full well that if whatever was in it was grabbed by them, then, well...I honestly don't know what will occur, but he couldn't allow it to fall into their hands.

Then he looked at his other hand, the one covered with the glove. It was the same object that did the deed that brought him into this mess. The very fabric that should never have been conjured may be his only chance to survive this exact scene. It was only a glove with a few bells-and-whistles added upon it, but within its hastily made design rested a power of unquestionable might, one that the man himself grew to fear.

The commanders began to smirk, and with their hands raised high in the air, they were ready to beckon the final number. The soldiers all tensed up, each wondering who it will be that will score the fatal blow. After the hell that this man threw them into, every bullet must count, regardless of its lethality.

As the hand began to go down, the business-suit-clad man had all fear vacated from his face. This made the commanders stop their command, looking at one another in silence. Everyone, still tensed with the ability to finally end this bastard, looked at their leaders in confusion. "Sir? Permission to fire, sir?"

The man, in an instant, threw the case away, not wanting it to be damaged any further from what was about to occur. As the soldiers looked concerned, the man lifted his glove and pressed a dial on it. The object began to fizzle, and the bulbs began to light up brightly, a motor being heard that rang through the afternoon air. The Commanders, watching everything unfold before them, began to grow fearful themselves, and quickly rose their hands in the air once more. "Screw it! Everyone, fire now! Burn this bastard to the ground!"

Before the soldiers began to fire, the man rose his gloved hand towards his opposition. "Forgive me, but you leave me no other choice. Forgive me, milady."

And as the first soldier fired his gun, the man reciprocated. A beam of orange light, its intensity as blinding as it was destructive, shot through the world, aimed directly at the tank with the two commanders standing tall on it. They looked on in horror, knowing that as soon as the beam was fired, their lives were already over. "N-"

And the tank was gone. Just like that. It exploded with a horrifying intensity, creating a terrific fireball that encapsulated all that stood within. A sound that no mortal should ever hear exploded into the ears of all those on this makeshift battlefield, with smoke rising high up into the air in order to indicate the destruction of just one blast.

The remaining members of the army, still outnumbering our poor business man by quite a large margin, looked on in awe, before setting their sights on the man, who now looked even more guilty. "Um..Uh, fire, fire! Don't let him rest!"

Everyone tried their best as they began to fire, their intensity filled with rage and terror, hoping that somehow that glove wouldn't fire another beam. If it did, who knows who he would take out, or how many lives would be lost.

Unfortunately, the glove did fire, and this time the man in the suit didn't stop. With a scream of anguish, he began with the very left of his vision, and kept firing in a circle, the glove heating up to the point that it turned a fiery orange. The soldiers tried their best to subdue him, but unfortuantely the panic settled in, and their bullets went flying in every direction imaginable. Many tried to run, but the blast took all who stood before him on this very day. Their screams went unheeded as explosion after explosion burnt the whole forest area down. The helicopters, being the only things that could actually harm the man, ended up falling from the sky as the flames destroyed their rotors fairly quickly, falling quickly towards the landmass and taking everything with it.

In less than a minute, the man in the suit eliminated nearly all those who stood before him. It seemed that the commanders were lying about those behind him, so in the end, the situation actually ended up better than expected. Soon, the beam of light ended, leaving in its wake a mountain of ash and flame, the sky now being obscured by the heavy smoke. All soldiers who somehow survived the attack quickly retreated, brushing off all of the fire that lingered upon their souls.

Once the land was cleared and he was left alone, The man finally buckled and fell to his knees. His hand, holding a power that no mere human should ever hold, was now burning within the glove, though it seemed the pain was no match for all that hit him during the bout. He managed to survive the attack, but he didn't leave unscathed, as some bullets did manage to smash and embed themselves into his body.

Even with the lingering pain, though, he only felt the shame that came with the slaughter he just committed. "My... my god, what have I done?"

This was all falling apart too quickly. All he did was try and save everyone. That was the reason why he did what he did, and if he didn't do it, then everything would be destroyed, or worse. That was what he discovered, and if the soldiers didn't want to listen to him, that was there own fault; he was not going to allow his world to fall.

With a saddened tear escaping his eye, he finally managed to stand again, though once he did, the pain finally began to register within. He stumbled as he placed a hand on his chest, feeling the tiny hole forever created within him, feeling the crimson liquid that tried to leave him. His vision blurred, and he knew that after all the years of working with medicine, his life will be forfeit should he not find help soon. Sadly, in this predicament, the only one that could help him was himself.

Still, he looked back at the briefcase he discarded. Using whatever energy he had left, he stumbled over to it and held it within his palm. "I can't make it any farther...but I can still do this."

He lifted his shirt up, looking at both his wounds and what seemed to be yet another device attached to his side. "If all else fails...I at least got this. I have to keep this thing going..."

I still have no idea what happened or why he was carrying that case, but at least it seemed that he had some sort of goal. Taking heavy breaths as he fought against pain, he trudged forward, knowing that a second of wave of soldiers will show up momentarily.

"My friends...I pray for your safety..."

He finally reached the trees again, though his body just couldn't handle the intensity anymore, stumbling over every root and branch possible. He had to keep the case held high, just to show that he was still carrying it.

"No matter what...I have to do this... If I don't, Celestia will end it..."

He reached a giant oak tree, and had no other choice but to rest on it, feeling the energy within slowly seep from his body. He didn't hear anymore soldiers, but that only served to make him paranoid.

"All the CPU's...they must die..."

He kept himself going by remembering his fellow coworkers, knowing that they will at least live on. Hopefully, though he knew they were smart enough on their own.

"This landmass...I just need to teleport it away...up there will be the perfect spot..."

Unfortunately, whatever spot he was alluding too meant nothing, for he collapsed onto the ground in a shivering quake. He tried to stand up again, even if it meant crawling like a weakling, but he couldn't even muster the strength for that. The case fell just a meter before him, hidden just a little bit by the high grass. He couldn't carry it anymore, and in a few moments his life will probably leave him. He wanted to at least activate whatever was held within it, but it seemed that he wouldn't be able to do it.

Not in this life, anyway.

He looked at that small switch again, and drew a heavy sigh. "I guess I really don't have the choice anymore, do I? I don't...want to...but if it means saving...the universe, I will do anything...anything..."

However, before he could do whatever he was planning, he managed to shuffle his way towards the case, holding it out there on the ground, looking at the soil it managed to disturb. Though there hasn't been any rain in the forest for quite some time, it seemed that the dirt was surprisingly soft; soft enough that, even in his broken state, he would be able to dig through it.

"I have the time...I can do this..."

He began clawing at the dirt, his vision fading with every scrape. He grabbed any clump he could, ignored the worms and other strange creatures as he continued to burrow deep down. _Like digging my own grave, _he chuckled; nothing like a good, healthy dose of black humor in order to lighten up the evergrowing possibility of death.

At last, he managed to make the hole the correct dimensions for his secret gift. Being a man of science, he learned what it truly meant to be both accurate and precise, and making the size and volume of the hole perfect will most certainly help out in the end. How, he wouldn't say nor think.

Once it was delicately put in, he quickly brought the dirt clumps back, brushing it over the case, managing to obscure the foreign object with whatever he was presented. It was pretty makeshift, and if one took the time to observe the ground, it would be a rather obvious find. However, that was what he was going for, as it was crucial that he can find it once again.

Placing a tiny flower on it for reference, the man smiled and rolled onto his back. "They shouldn't be able to find it...I just need to now...revive..."

He lifted his shirt once more, stained completely with his own blood mixed with the mud, and hovered his hand over the switch. Long ago, he made that device, one that if used correctly, will grant its user what he referred to as a "Second Chance." A bizarre invention, and one that completely went against all sorts of science and biology, but he felt that now it was time to use it. His friends used it, his lady wanted to use it, and now came the ultimate test to see if he, the creator, can use it. It wasn't the most attractive thing in the world, but once again, the universe came first to him.

"Well, at least it will..."

His eyes soon caught sight of a horrific thing. High in the sky, behind the blackening smoke and burning embers, flew four bright objects of differing colors. One had the grand shade of blue, with the others being green, black (making it hard to notice), and purple. They appeared to be orbs floating down from the heavens above, and to the uninitiated, that was what they were to the point.

But the man knew what was coming. He knew what the colored orbs meant; he knew what fate he was about to endure.

"...Crap..."

The four orbs rained down quickly upon the land below. The closer they got to him, the more it was evident that they were indeed, and in fact, Goddesses. The Console Patron Units themselves, representing the four other landmasses of the grand conglomerate known only as Gamindustri, were flying down right beside him. Normally, you would only ever see one, and that was if you were just a horrible human being. To see all of them, well, that's not a good thing. You have to understand that these Goddesses aren't the best of friends, so when they team up like this, then the problem has to be very personal.

He knew running was impossible, and even if he could muster up the strength to crawl, he wouldn't waste his dignity like that. He wanted to use the glove for protection, knowing that if he could just do it, he can take out the CPU's. A terrible thing to do, but he it was a goal he mentioned before. However, it seemed that even raising his hand was getting harder and harder by the second.

The four of them landed elegantly, stopping all the gravity around them as they hovered just a mere bit from the ground below. Gusts of wind, powerful enough to overtake any who stood before them, blew all the ash and smoke away, and those that remained were intermixed with the CPU's already-heavenly bodies. This mixture made looking at them close to impossible, though their eyes, designed after what many could call the symbol of power, shined brightly through the darkness. A chilling fact that could harm even the most stoic of criminals.

Their weapons, a mixture of lances, swords, and hammers, shined as bright as their eyes; a lethal combination of armaments that, even against a killer devil, would be very well considered past the point of overkill. The man could only stare in shock at the display they gave him. The power of their authority, the surprise of their appearance, the anger he undoubtedly knew was behind that smoke...it was more than enough to chill the remaining blood within him.

"Ladies..." he barely whispered, hacking up blood from his throat. The Four CPU's glared down upon him, readying their weapons for their opportunity to strike, their emotions glowing with absolute strength. He placed a hand over the button, still not yet pressing it, but managing to hide it from view. "Have you come to...strike me down, too?"

The four Console Patron Units looked at one another, their eyes never appearing to be lost, before they turned once more at the poor sod on the last strings of his wasted life. One of them, the one coated with the Purple power symbols, aimed her dangerously long sword, reaching all the way to his chin, even to the point of lightly grazing it. He was expecting, perhaps, a sarcastic quip, or perhaps even a scary laugh, but all he heard prior to her words was the fire still crackling behind them.

"I do not care for your name, nor what you have accomplished in life. You have killed one of our own in cold blood. I don't know how a mere mortal managed to accomplish such a feat, and in a different world, I might have commended you." Her words were spoken rather monotonously, but they carried a venomous attitude that poisoned all who stood before them. He only could glare at her, knowing that there was no chance to fight back.

She rose her sword high in the air, allowing the obscured sun to make it shine brightly. "However, your sin cannot go unpunished. You have caused too much trouble in such a small frame. You eliminated a Goddess, eliminated many innocent souls, and still have the gall to give me a glare such as that."

Another CPU, this one holding the color green, nearly slashed his head off as she brought the lance just above his neck. "Tell me, you broken mess of a man. Before you breathe your last breath, tell us why. Why did you throw out your life in such a grizzly manner?"

The man, nearly choking on whatever the hell his body was conjuring up, let out a few coughs to clear his mind. He didn't have much time left, and they all knew that. "Why I did it?" he questioned, feeling rather annoyed for whatever reason (his emotions were probably dying off with his body). The Four CPU's appeared to have nodded, which caused him to cough once more. The lance, though not stabbing him, nudged him a few times, the CPU losing patience by the second.

Struggling to lift his head just a little bit, he tried his best to smile, his belief being that it would level the situation just a tad bit. "I...it had to be done. If I didn't do it, then...then this universe will be no more," a tear came to his eye as his bodily functions began to falter, though how he clung to life was quite the mystery. He tried to raise a finger, but his muscles refused to listen. "You...you all have to die with her...I'm so sorry."

He really meant it when he apologized, but obviously the Goddesses wouldn't accept it. A hammer came bashing right next to his head. "What the hell are you on about? That's the lamest excuse I have ever heard! No one has to die because 'oh no! The universe will no more!' Seriously, how dumb are you?" The CPU with white eyes looked at her fellow leaders. "Seriously, why don't we just kill him?"

The other three appeared to concur, and the one with blue eyes appeared to laugh. "You are delusional, my fallen adversary. You are just like every other criminal: cold, stupid, and reckless. You just happened to gain some publicity."

The purple eyes moved up and down, before glowing brighter than before. "Because of you, this entire landmass is left without guidance. Your real reason for doing this must have been completely selfish. What a poor, sad soul you are."

The man shook his head. "You...don't get it..."

The green-eyed CPU kept her lance close to his head. "There is nothing to get. You are merely a phantom upon this scorched land, a ghoul who lost his way. Your death will bring joy and happiness to those that were hurt by your very existence."

With that, all four of them rose their weapons high into the air, glimmering with an intention the man knew was never a good one. "Cursed phantom of Gamindustri! For your crimes against this nation, as well as all under Celestia, we hereby strike you down to the bowels of hell itself!"

All four of them let out a war cry, the wind picking up to an almost tornado level. The man could barely keep his eyes open as he knew his life was about to end. However, with his hand over the button still, he managed to press it before they could strike him down. "I...have to do it..."

The CPU's struck his body all at once, obliterating whatever remained of him. The rest of the scene, unfortunately, appears to have been lost. All that is known, however, besides some of the events we will learn later on, is that the CPU's never seemed to have spotted the mound of dirt, hiding the briefcase from view. This will later prove to be a costly mistake.

* * *

From _Neptunian Theory: The Ultimate Plot of Celestia:_

"I will never agree with everything Neptunian brought up. He is truly a mad man that somehow gained popularity with his twisted ideals and theories. Normally, I would dismiss anything he brought up to me, but when he showed me those documents, I began to wonder if he truly had some evidence to support his claims..."


	2. PART 0: Some Backstory for you

Chapter 2: In Which a Backstory Presents Itself  
Location: nowhere

Gamindustri. A land filled to the brim with opportunity, wisdom, fun, dreams, happiness, and of course, all the game references you could ever want. Divided into four landmasses, Gamindustri evolved to have four unique cultures, each ruled over by a Console Patron Unit (CPU).

To the north stood Lowee, a snow-filled land known for its magic and wisdom; a childlike dreamland fit for all ages, ruled by Lady White Heart. To the east lay Lastation, a land known for its rather business-oriented approach to ruling. Dark, but filled with the most loyal of civilians, it is ruled by Lady Black Heart.

To the south is Leanbox, a land ready to embrace the future, while still accepting its beautiful, natural appeal; home to many of the pop culture icons of Gamindustri, her beautiful pastures are ruled over by Lady Green Heart. Finally, in the very center of it all, nestled between the future and forever more, stood Planeptune itself. While oftentimes lacking in terms of rule, it makes up for it with innovation and creation. Known for having one of the tallest man-made structures across all landmasses, the land is ruled over by Lady Purple Heart.

Each CPU has a Candidate and Oracle (with the exception of Leanbox, who lacks the former), both with roles just as important as their leader. The Candidate, often considered the second in command, Is usually the "sister" of the current Goddess, having similar powers as her, as well as having similar responsibilities (with some notable exceptions). The Oracle is considered the advisor of the Goddesses, often being the runner of various affairs within the Landmass, as well as usually being the contact point between the CPU and the citizen.

The humans of the land, dubbed Makers, are the only beings that could possibly keep their CPU's in power. Though these Goddesses are extremely powerful, and filled with exotic abilities only they could ever possess, they are useless without any semblance of fate. The people's fate is converted to shares, which buffs the CPU up, and keeps her ruling. By keeping her people happy and keeping everything fair, then the lack of shares should never be a problem.

Now, with all that being said, our CPU's can be considered enemies. While merely competitive adversaries these days, back in the day, wars up in the holy land of Celestia were common, ending in stalemates as the Goddesses fought for total of supremacy. It was only natural that people placed in similar roles will eventually come into conflict, and in all seriousness, their fights brought their lands even farther into the future, as their fervor somehow translated into innovation within their citizen's minds.

Only one force would ever unite the four Goddesses together, and that is the dark being known as the Deity of Sin. A deadly monster of a woman that some believe only exists in legend, this powerful beast has the ability to influence anyone she comes across, and with her influence comes the loss of faith, bringing all four CPU's down. Though powerful, as long as all of the leaders band together to fight her, then the evil witch will fade back into her scorched abode.

In the end though, even with the fighting still technically happening, if you look around at any establish, you'll probably encounter the leaders partaking in some sort of get together. Lady Black Heart and Lady Purple Heart, though known for being bitter rivals, apparently are, as the cool kids call it, "OTP," as some see them hanging out the most.

Naturally, our ladies don't just walk around the nations all willy-knilly. You see, they become Makers like you and me. Black Heart becomes Noire, Green Heart becomes Vert, Purple Heart becomes Neptune, and White Heart becomes Blanc. It's the only way for them to truly socialize with their people, but even then, they apparently enjoy the company of their enemies more than their own trusted followers; a few Makers here and there, but that's about it.

…

About a year ago, a deadly group known as ASIC began to grow, supporting Arfoire with all of their might. Lead by a deadly vixen known only as Magic the Hard, this group nearly brought an end to the four nations of Gamindustri, successfully capturing the CPU's for over three years, forcing them to be held within the mythological Gamindustri Graveyard. If it wasn't for the CPU's little sisters (Nepgear, Uni, Ram, and Rom), the land would've certainly died out. Thanks to the help of a few Makers, the Goddesses were all recovered safely. Unfortunately, even though they were eventually able to take out Magic and her goons, Arfoire still returned.

Through the combined efforts of all who were involved, the Deity of Sin perished in a sea of flame, hopefully never to return again.

Thus, our heroes all went their own ways; CPU's and Candidates went back to ruling, Makers went back to whatever they did for a living, and ASIC remained only as a shadow of its former self. All was well in Gamindustri from there on out, and it seemed that everything was back to normal.

After recovering all the stolen shares from ASIC, every nation went into a state of peace. Economy was good, innovation was high, the games being released were actually original; what more could a person demand? It seemed that, out of all nations, only Lastation was really negatively effected thanks to the fall of the evil syndicate, and that was only thanks to a strange recent event that no one could've speculated.

Still, with that hiccup, all nations remained friendly with one another, and if one was able to actually gain entry into the Basilicom of any of the Landmasses (usually Planeptune), you might actually witness all four ladies playing their hearts out on one of Lowee's most popular fighting games. Ha, what a strange world we inhabit.

For the Makers, everything was going smoothly; well, for the most part. 5pb, one of the many heroes on the quest to defeat ASIC, gained even more popularity as a pop idol, selling out every concert she played and reaching millions upon millions of sales with every single released. IF and Compa, though still visiting Neptune (they were close friends, it appears), ended up following the pop idol throughout her growth as an artist.

In Lastation, Nisa, honorary heroine of justice, continued to uphold the law by beating the crap out of any evil doer that dare stand in her way. Somehow, she managed to grab the alchemist Gust, another soul well known for fighting against Arfoire. And make her a sidekick (much to her chagrin). The two would then form a successful bond with one another, defeating various villains only viewable if you purchase the DLC. However, in recent days, it seems that something had occurred between the two of them.

For the rest of the Makers...they turned out just fine.

As for the Candidates, well, Ram and Rom were doing what little sisters do best; screw with the head of their older sibling. Nepgear, being one of the main heroines of the last adventure, allowed herself to relax for the time being, getting only what was required to be done, done. She made sure Neptune was working as hard as she could, and that no evil groups were being revived. She had to admit that things got boring every so often, but she presumed that that was a good thing.

Uni, meanwhile, began to work extremely hard and diligently once she resumed her role as Candidate, oftentimes upstaging her own sister, who was well known for being one of the best working Goddesses around. For a while, the two sisters bonded more than ever before, to the point that there were a few times where they were simply inseparable. Kei, their Oracle, even managed to crack a smile at their growing relationship.

But thanks to recent events, things quickly went downhill for the both of them. Uni went into a sort of depression, while Noire expressed herself with rage more often. No matter what they did, shares were just not going up, oftentimes depleting quicker whenever they worked on it. It was a sad sight, though they both knew that things will clear up eventually. They just had to, right?

They were all blissfully unaware of the trials that were about to greet them during a rather peaceful day. Everything was quiet, as if the world merely waited...


	3. PART 1: Nisa's Heroic Encounter

Chapter 3: In Which a Mystery sets everything in Motion  
Location: Southern Lastation Slums

* * *

PART 1: A Monster Returns

* * *

_Present Day, One Year After the last adventure..._

Deep within the southern region of Lastation, a balding man ran from the police, carrying what was possibly millions of credits within a duffel bag, complete with a money symbol on the fabric. Though he never even visited a prison, for whatever reason he was in stereotypical criminal garb, the zebra lines running down his shirt and pants, making him stick out like a sore thumb. Hell, he even had a bandana around his eyes, two holes allowing him to see through. Jeez, where do these people even come from?

With a sickening, evil laugh, he managed to avoid all the Cops chasing after him. Due to the narrow design of the streets, it was essentially impossible for any vehicle to come down, meaning all chases had to be done on foot. Not to make fun of Lastation's police force, but it was clear that they weren't use to running at high speeds very often.

Thus, the police were helpless as the goon managed to run down an even narrower alleyway, avoiding many of the angry homeless as he tossed every object around him to the ground, further delaying the law from catching up. The credit bag bounced up and down as his heavy feet constantly smacked the dilapidated road, with tiny hills almost always making him trip up. Still, even if he did manage to fall, the police will still be nowhere close to catching him.

He broke through to another tightly-pack road, right around the time the rain began to pour. "Ah shit," he grumbled, always hating the feeling of precipitation whenever he had to break free. He kept the duffel bag tucked around his belly, running like a hunch back as he made his way across the dirty road.

High above on the buildings, which all appeared to be run-down and ready to crumble at any second, were thousands of neon-lights, all forming into some strange advertisements that probably meant little in this day and age. It was the slums, after all; the main city was clean and perfect, but on the lower-south side, there was nothing but the ghetto, and those living in it were merely forgotten by society. For a long time, Noire assumed that having just one ghetto down there would be okay (she wanted to help them, but as long as she couldn't, she had to accept and look at the bright side of it), but as the days went by and the shares collapsed, she feared that most of that city will become poor, and soon the whole landmass will fall into the same fate.

Due to the apparent abandonment of this part of town, crime was as normal as people walking their dogs. Every day came reports of people being beaten up, robbed, shot, molested, poked in the eye really hard, and an occasional death here and there. The police, much like the ones seen here, had to always visit it, but more often than not, they caused more harm than good. A sad fate for those that were grand, but that's just life in the slums.

Thus, if the police were ineffective, who could possibly try and bring order? Morale was low, crime was high, the sky was always overcast with rain beating down on a daily basis...was there anyone that could save this twisted hellhole?

Well, I believe if you look up at those neon signs, you may see one bright light illuminating the darkness below.

Standing tall in front of a sign that read "SKARFS R 4 CHUMPS!" was a young lass, her red scarf blowing beautifully against the stormy wind. The rain bounced off of her as if she was a solid wall, her arms folded neatly as her eyes coursed the claustrophobic roads. Her blue hair, tied in a ponytail that like her scarf also flowed with the heavy breeze, was not enough to cover the intensity within those blue irises, where if you look closely, you might see tiny flames burning within.

As a flash of lightning illuminated the pale sky, the visage of the lady echoed throughout the poor town. A few of the homeless looked up at the sight of her, pointing and "awing" at her awesome sight. She merely ignored their excitement, glad to see that they enjoyed her appearance, but nevertheless it was not truly needed. The robber continued to run deeper into the town, refusing to listen to the others as he past by the building where she stood.

"Hm?" she mumbled once her eyes came to rest on him. He was still cackling as he brushed through yet another alleyway, taking out a full dumpster as a few homeless tried to grab whatever credits they could steal. Far off, the police still laid the pursuit, but it was clear that they lost their target, running aimlessly in all directions. If no one stepped up now, the criminal would get away scott free.

She flexed her arms out before striking a rather heroic pose. "Whew, five whole minutes...this town is falling into injustice way too quickly!" She had to turn now in order to view him, causing her to start running. Reaching the end of the rooftop, she made a "woo" as she jumped to the next one, building hopping as she looked for an opening to strike. "Trying to steal someone else's hard-earned money, eh? Not in this Heroine's town!"

She jumped about four full buildings before she reached the slum's "Square." The Criminal was still laughing his mind out, and it seemed his destination was clear. A van was parked not too far from him, where five others (dressed exactly like him) stood watching. Once they caught sight of him, laughter was heard as they all rubbed their hands together.

Getting all the information she would ever need and more, Nisa nodded her hand, her expression growing very serious. "All right gents, time to feel the mighty kick..." she stuck another pose, "...of justice!"

With that, she ran off the rooftop, conveniently landing on a horizontal pole with no sign attached. She quickly grabbed hole of it and swung about, jumping now on every object that she could find; be it a stop sign, bus stop, car roof, a fire hydrant, or even a random guy's head, she managed to keep herself off of the ground, somehow in complete prinny bag (or was it an actual Prinny? The mysteries) upon her bag appeared to grow fearful with every jump she made.

The criminal placed the duffel bag into the truck, where three other bags were already placed. "Man, this just gets easier, don't it?" The criminal remarked, yet another disgusting laugh escaping his lips. The other goons laughed as they began to get into the truck. Just for safety measures while on the road, one of the goons placed a sticker on the truck that read "Lastation's Kemari Ball Delivery Service INC." The idiots; Lastation doesn't even have a Kemari league!

As they laughed once more, the driver started the van. "Come on guys. With all 'dis doe, we'll be running the city in no time! Come on! Let's Par-tay!"

He sounded so excited too. Unfortunately for him, that excitement quickly died down when they heard the thud on top of the vehicle. They all looked worryingly at one another, and the driver was chosen to see what the hell just happened. What he saw nearly sent him to ghoulville.

He saw the Heroine of Justice, simply lying on top of the van with a hand on her cheek, looking quite sly, as if she was trying to look inviting. "Party, huh?" She mentioned, her fingers tapping her cheek as if she was growing impatient, "You kinda forgot the part where you meet my personal friend, the law!"

Before the man could reply, she quickly got up, wrapped her arms around the man's head, and flung him out, throwing him right into an old, decrepit bus stop. Watching in horror, the other criminals quickly got out and got a good look at her, before all of them grew into a mixture of anger and fear. "It's da freaking Heroine of Justice!" The guy from before yelled. They all quickly pulled out a pistol or two and began firing at her.

As graceful as a dancer, Nisa dodged every bullet they threw at her, and with one foot on the vent, she managed to throw herself into the air, spiraling as she came down upon another one of them. The man screamed as he felt her patented "Twist of Rectitude" come down upon him. Let's just say he stood no chance.

The others still attempted to fire, but they were simply no match for her nimbleness. She jumped from wall to wall, reaching the third man with relative ease. She stood upon the man's head, feeling quite light, though he knew that she was extremely deadly, especially up there. With a wild yell, she began to spin like a top, spinning the man along with her. Her deadly "Top of Faith" was in full effect, and by the time she stopped spinning, the man was practically burrowed into the ground.

With three men down, the other three began to run, creating as much distance as humanely possible, though it was all for naught, as Nisa was never one for far-off combat. She quickly jumped onto a nearby wall and ran across it, reaching the awestruck criminals in no time flat. Another man went down via her "Injustice destroyer" fist, bashing him to the ground, making him slide a rather far distance. It was then the police arrived, all watching as the Heroine of Justice did her work.

The remaining two man said "screw it" and ran for their lives, dropping their guns in an attempt at mercy. "Oh no, you're not getting off that easy!" She yelled. Normally she may have spared them from any more pain if they surrendered, but after a few false acts of surrenders that nearly brought an end to her life, she couldn't take the chance unless they fully proved it. Thus, she lept right in front of the slowest member, who shrieked like a little girl. Waving a finger in his face, he tried to punch her down, but she merely took this as an opening. She grabbed his arm, lifted him up over her shoulders, spun around a few times (She'll admit that it was kind of an ass move on her part), and then threw him right into the dirty ground, incapacitating him.

The last member grew angry. "Heroine of Justice, eh? You know how hard it is to live out here, right? We was just brought down so much, stealing was the only way to live. It wasn't our choice!" He remarked, though his smirk gave away his bluff. Nisa merely folded her arms, making a "tsk" sound.

"Some of you guys really need to learn how to be actual villains...or better yet, how about you turn your life around and fight for the righteous?" Her fist raised into the air, the intensity of her stance alone nearly brought the criminal to tears, forcing him onto his knees. She saw the extreme fear being played in his eyes, and she gave him a rather hefty smile. "Tell you what, sir. If you surrender now, I'll spare you, and bring you to the side of Justice!" She stretched her hand out to him. "What do you say?"

The criminal looked at her hand as if it was a rare, extremely valuable sweet. At first, it seemed like he was actually going to accept it, but just as he was about to shake her hand, Nisa saw the blade attached to his own. A crafty move, should their hands actually join.

"Like I said, you guys seriously have to learn!"

The Criminal was confused as she quickly dashed away. Even the police (who were busy tying up the other fallen men) were concerned with what the Heroine of Justice was planning. Feeling as if she actually retreated, the criminal laughed as he brushed himself off. "Bitch," he mumbled under his breath. He spat on the ground. With that, he began to run once again.

However, before the police could try and apprehend him, a loud cry was heard against the raging storm. The Criminal stopped dead in his tracks as he looked around himself. "What da?"

As he turned, he heard the words being shouted. "Super Justice Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicccccckkkkkkk!"

His face came into contact with her rather strong boot, smashing him into several pieces as he spiraled out in the air, finally coming to a rest in a bush nearby, the rain splattering mud all over him. The thunder high above blew up in droves, as if fireworks went off to celebrate her impressive victory. The police all cheered as a few ran up the humiliated victim, who could barely form a breath as he was picked up and cuffed.

Adjusting her boot, Nisa folded her arms and smirked. "Whelp, another day, another evil-doer being foiled by mighty arm of Nisa!" She drew a sigh, before entering a deep thought. "Though, I guess it would be more the mighty _leg_ of Nisa...hm, it all depends, I guess!"

Once all of the criminals were escorted into all nearby police vehicles, the local police chief decided to pay his respects and came towards the Heroine of Justice herself. "I must say, you impress me every single time, my lady. How you handled that situation was truly a commendable effort!"

Nisa blushed at the sudden praise thrusted at her, and she placed her hands on her hips, her body surprisingly dry with the rain and all. "All in a day's work, sir! As long as justice burns brightly in my soul, I will always fight the evil that plagues the land!" She struck yet another heroic pose, stretching her arm out wide over her mouth, another crack of lightning giving her body that much needed edge in looking badass.

The Chief shooed away a random homeless person as he began to write out a check. Nisa noticed this, and placed her hand over his face. "You don't need to pay me, sir! Fighting evil is all this Heroine of Justice needs!"

This scene has happened at least a dozen times now with this same Chief, and he always had to wonder how Nisa was able to survive without any worth to her name; must be a Heroine thing. "Well, okay then," He placed the checkbook away and looked up towards the many neon signs high above, all indecipherable due to the weather. One, however, was able to be interpreted even with the text obscured, as it showed a small witch-like girl throwing a flower into a cauldron. "You know, I'm sorry for asking, but wasn't there another one you Heroine of Justices running about?"

Nisa appeared to be too involved with her posing, causing the Chief to snap his fingers at her. "Oh, uh...well, yeah, there was. She just decided to, I don't know, take one of those sabbatical-thingy's."

He cocked an eyebrow at her, taking out a walkie-talkie as he spoke some orders to another branch. "Well, if you say so. Who was she again, anyways? I remember she was really small, and had one of those hilarious accents..."

This was a sensitive topic for the Heroine of Justice, and though she never minded the curiosity people tend to have, she just didn't feel comfortable discussing this right now. As the Chief was contemplating whether or not he actually remembered the second Heroine, Nisa felt the sweat bead up upon her head, and she looked around at the buildings in the hopes of seeing an opening. She noticed a sign that was ready to fall off its respective building, one that with a well-timed, gravity defying jump, she would be able to reach the rooftop rather easily.

"Eh, now that I think about it, she was probably that Red-headed girl with the scissors. Nah, she doesn't even come here! Huh, you know anything, Nisa?" The Chief referred back to her, but he was surprised to find that the Heroine of Justice was nowhere to found. He looked in every cardinal direction present, but to no avail. "Where did...ah, she's probably off fighting another enemy! Hm, shouldn't we then be fighting them, too?"

Thankfully the police never look up in these situations, as Nisa was still very visible on the side of the rooftop. Once the coast was clear, she found herself leaning against an ancient billboard pillar, letting the stressful feelings leave her. "Woah, that was a close one,"she remarked, patting her head as she tried her best in suppressing a random ache. The storm high above rain its grievance down upon the world even harder than before, with the wind continuing to pick up.

Adjusting her scarf, she closed her eyes as tiny little fragments she called memories entered her thoughts. With a deep sigh, she saw the town square just outside of Lastation's Basilicom, a rain similar to this falling to the ground. On a patch of land that was surrounded by road after road, three criminals were surrounded by two Heroine of Justices; one being our own lady here, and the other being a small girl who's hat and gloves made one wonder how she could ever be so agile.

The words from that day were forgotten by Nisa, but she remembered the two of them taking out the nefarious trio swiftly and diligently. It was just the common thing for them to do; take out all adversaries together and live to do it again probably hours later. She remembered her partner smiling to her as they cuffed their foes (she remembered actually having handcuffs on her that time). Even against the raging storms, they were filled with bliss at their success. It was a strange pairing to behold, as history would probably remark, but nevertheless it was a group that was grand when together.

Her mind broke off right there, as the next thing she could really remember was standing on a rooftop, just like the one she was on now, looking down at a bunch of police cars circling her partner. Not a single police officer looked up to see her, but it was clear that her trusted partner-in-crime did, as the Heroine of Justice met her eyes. Instead of bliss, there was only fear and betrayal within those vessels to the soul. Nisa couldn't remember much after that, but all she knew was that she never spoke to that little girl since.

"I was so reckless," Nisa remarked, shaking her head as it appeared that the rain finally got to her. Taking another deep breath, she detached herself from the pillar and walked over to the side, overlooking an old clock-tower that still rang to this day. She looked up at the gray sky, seeing a tiny bit of sunlight desperately trying to peak its way through the darkness. "I wonder how she is. I hope she's okay..."

As she thought this, she quickly slapped herself. "No, a true hero will never dabble on such personal matters! That clouds judgment, and a cloudy mind is a messy mind. That's what Compa taught me!" She recalled fondly the young medic from her days of fighting off the terrible group known as ASIC. Ah, such a time that was!

So with that, she took her perch upon the very side of the rooftop, holding her hand above her eyes, looking far and wide at the ground below. She wasn't going to let this personal guilt get her down.

"So you're the Heroine of Justice, right?"

Nisa flinched at the sudden, deep voice. She slowly lowered her hand to her side, and cautiously turned herself. Halfway through this cycle, as if she was about to pull a fast one, she asked "who goes there?"

The voice did not respond until she was completely facing the opposite way. "Answer me first, and I may just give you the response you seek."

His voice sounded like it hurt honestly, as if he had to reach all the way down just to get any semblance of sound out of him. Nisa looked around everywhere on the rooftop, but no matter where she looked, there was no one there. "Why should I tell you? I may be, I may not. Tell me where you are first!"

A strange clicking sound was heard from afar. "So pushy. Guess that makes sense, though."

As Nisa was walking towards a door that lead into the building, she caught site of a man standing against a tiny chimney. Though he was out in the open, Nisa knew that no matter how hard she looked, the man wouldn't have been there before. She couldn't make out his features, as his whole body was covered in some sort of black thicket, but it was clear that he was pretty damn tall, perhaps too tall for an average person. His arms were lanky, and his legs appeared more like pistons underneath the strange shall covering them.

"W-Who are you? State your purpose up here!"

The man shook his head. "You know, I still haven't received my response. Are you, or are you not, the Heroine of Justice? I already know the answer, but I rather hear it from you, you know?"

Nisa grew even more concerned the longer this conversation lasted. She still had no idea who the hell this person was, but considering his outfit and his voice that would usually make a person run away really fast, she could only assume that this man had no good intention. "Well, if you already know, than why should I? I rather not appease a person that seems to enjoy looking suspicious!"

The man let out a dank laugh, one that sounded like a little child's slowed to a halt. He folded his arms and appeared to slouch against an invisible pole. "My, how stubborn. Rumors about you certainly hold some truth!" His words sounded far more sporty this time around, and he actually began to walk towards her. He truly was the tallest human she had ever seen, to the point that calling him human was starting to grow incorrect. The black thicket covering his body appeared more natural the closer he got to her, his beastly appearance making her spine shiver. "Fine, have it your way. I guess in the end, it truly isn't necessary."

Nisa rose her fist in the air. "All right, stop your crypticness! I demand you to tell me what your purpose is!"

The man was only an arm's length away from her, the rain bouncing off of him as if he was a rock caught in the middle of a large stream. Though her words and determination were tough as a Heroine of Justice should be, she had to admit that the intimidation she was feeling now was quite different from any other feeling she had ever experienced. That's saying something when you take into account the fact that she essentially fought _the devil_.

His face was still obscured under a convenient shadow, so facial profiling was impossible. "Hm, I really don't have much of a reason to be here, to be honest. I just wanted to see if the legends were true," he extended both arms out, as if he was about to hug her, "and considering how I am looking at the fabled hero herself, I can easily say that the legends were perfectly correct!"

Nisa just got even more confused the longer this scene dragged out. "Well, uh, thanks? Wait, no!" the Heroine of Justice jumped back, almost falling off the building. "What do you mean? Seriously, can you at least be a tad more helpful? I fought secretive super villains more open than you!"

The man let out another laugh, looking at the sky as the rain fell even harder, lightning burning across the darkened sky. "Ah, well, I think I was going to tell you, but considering how jumpy and stubborn you're being...nah, you'll just have to find out yourself!"

With a strange cop-out answer, the man ran towards the edge of the building, standing on the edge with his toes. Nisa jumped at this sudden change in demeanor, and started to run for him. "Wait, stop right there!"

Unfortunately, the man was far too quick for her, as he leapt from the building. As he fell, he turned in the air, looking at Nisa for the last time. "In due time, Heroine of Justice! In due time!"

And before he plummeted straight into the ground, a dark portal appeared below him, making him vanish from this current realm of existence. All the while Nisa watched from the rooftops, her jaw on the floor, her brain in shambles. Thunder rang high above as confusion ran through her, seeing as how no one else appeared to notice the descending man falling into nothing.

After a few minutes passed, Nisa slowly picked herself up, standing tall as the neon sign above her flickered dimly against the stormy weather. "What...what just happened?" her hand was placed on her forehead, a headache once again returning to her. "That did happen, right? Wow, this Heroine of Justice is really off her rocker!"

To steady herself, she slouched against the pole once again, folding her arms as she looked to the ground. Her scarf, too wet from the precipitation, hung against her, losing its flexibility as she lost her sanity for just a little bit. _Just got to get over it...if that did happen, then I guess there's a new threat in town!_

As she thought this, slowly getting her head back in the game, a strong rumble was felt across the whole landmass. Glass on all of the buildings blew up, and the buildings all rumbled as they shook from their very foundations. Nisa felt the strength of the sudden quake, and barely held onto the roof as the neon sign next to her finally broke off of, plummeting to the ground like a fallen statue. The people below, already frightened by the sudden twist in the day, ran like wild animals during a forest fire, all of them scrambling for whatever cover could protect them as some of the weaker buildings finally met their fate as they descended to the ground.

"Of all things Justice, what is going on!" She yelled out, hoping that her building didn't meet the same fate as the other unfortunate ones. She could only keep her eyes closed as she waited for this quake to end, praying that she would make it out of this okay, and injuries were minimal in the end. This was certainly not a good day for this hero!

* * *

From _Neptunian Theory: The Ultimate Plot of Celestia:_

_"..._To my knowledge, there is a massive "Ultradimension" to coincide with our relatively smaller "Hyperdimension." Not many in this world even understand this concept, and many that do often believe it to be a simple rumor or joke, but there is enough evidence to suggest that not only do they exist, but they also have many portals to reach it. Can you imagine? A mere Maker such as I managing to reach these other dimensions? Simply laughable, yet not entirely out of the question..."


	4. PART 1: Uni and Nepgear's Small Dilemma

Chapter 4: In Which Two Candidates experience a painful quake  
Location: Northern Lastation

As the Heroine of Justice solved crime in southern Lastation, two Candidates disembarked from a movie theater as the storm finally reached them. All patrons were forced to use their umbrellas as they left, and unfortunately for our two Candidates, they accidentally didn't check the weather report, and thus had to walk home in the chance of being drenched completely.

The film, detailing the life of a man that went so far down in his head that he became a serial killer, was most certainly not in the tastes of the Candidate of Planeptune, Nepgear. It had shock, gore, strange sexual symbols that benefited no one but the hardcore, and a bizarre plot that only involved a twist that was neither foreshadowed or was even possible to occur. Still, her friend here seemed to enjoy it, though even she got a little queasy after sitting through its full two hour runtime.

Her friend in question was none other than Lastation's own Candidate, Uni. The two met each other about a year or two ago, and already their bond could never be severed nor torn. Nepgear was the quiet and courteous one, always willing to give herself up if it meant helping an ally in need, while Uni was more, eh, brash I guess, still very kind but ultimately having a somewhat bigger ego. It was strange, but these personalities apparently were meant for each other.

Yet, one must wonder why two Candidates, both having essentially a high rank in two different nations, were busy idling their time with hanging out and watching a rather grotesque movie. Shouldn't they have work to do right now? Nepgear was known for being responsible (a little too responsible, if you ask me), while Uni was certainly an up-and-coming dangerously hardworker. It could be easily said that thanks to the grand times happening right now, Nepgear was probably not even needed half the time, considering her nation's shares were through the roof, and work was actually miniscule.

Uni, on the other hand...all right, let's see what they have to say on this matter.

"Goodness Uni, can you please tell me about the movie before we see it? That was a little too much!" Planeptune's Candidate, with a shiver still running down her spine, said with a slight hint of regret. Uni looked at her and couldn't help but let out a laugh. The rain around her certainly didn't bother her whatsoever.

"Hey, you coulda asked! Besides, don't they tell you online? Seriously, you brought this on yourself!" Uni said, her words sounding a bit harsh but her tone sounding happy. Nepgear shot her a look, one that tried to be serious and angry, but all it came out to be was hilariously pouty. Uni managed to hold back her laugh, trying to look like the superior one in this makeshift argument, though as she placed her hands on her hips, she began to remember the movie in full detail. "Though I did research it, and it was still a little too much."

She tried to say this under her breath, but Nepgear was able to hear all of it, and began to chuckle. Uni blushed at her and grew flustered rather quickly. "Hey, what are you snickering about?" she stammered, tiny little bits of steam somewhat evident coming out of her ears. This only made the other Candidate laugh harder, and though she tried to stop it, laughter can be contagious, and Uni found herself laughing along with her friend.

The rain fell down even harder, and though the sun desperately tried to poke through the harsh conditions, the fast moving clouds blocked off its greatest attempts, substituting its life-giving light with even more rain. Though they were standing in it for almost a few minutes now, it was only after laughing that Nepgear actually noticed her entire body already covered in precipitation. "Goodness, where did this rain come from?"

Even Uni didn't see it until she actually focused, and that was only because a tiny drop fell down from her hair and over her eye. "Jeez, you're right! I thought this was supposed to begin later! Ugh, I hate when the weatherman's wrong!" Lastation's Candidate placed her arms over her head, hoping they could shield her hair; it was probably too late at this point, but whatever prevented an even worse bad hair day was good enough for her.

Nepgear looked at everyone else, somewhat peeved that they were the only two who were completely unprepared (why was nobody helping the freaking Candidates of two nations? Ungrateful bastards). The only thing she had to cover herself was her bag that she only brought in case of emergency. Looking around herself, though this was not the emergency she had in mind, it was still one in her book.

She looked over at her friend and, in a kind manner, she held the bag over Uni's head. "Wha? Nep, what are you doing?" the Candidate was obviously confused, but seeing as how Nepgear's grip was terrible on the bag, she had no other choice but to grab it as well. When she did, Nepgear let out a smile that seemed to brighten the world just a little bit more.

"It's downpouring out here, so I think you need it, you know? I'm sorry I don't have an umbrella on me."

Uni once again grew flustered, though she continued to hold the bag for as long as possible. "Wait, why aren't you covered, then? I find this kind of, you know, unfair," her words flowed with the sensation of a beautiful river, her eyes turned away so that her friend couldn't see the sincerity playing upon those windows to the soul. Nepgear merely smiled and stretched her body, ready for the big walk ahead of her.

"I think you need it more than me, Uni. Wouldn't Noire get angry if you came home all soaked?"

The rain continued to plummet down onto the cold ground below. The people around the Candidates huddled as close as possible, trying their best to keep cover from the unforgiving forecast. A feeling of joy still rushed through the hearts of many, and it seemed that not even the rain could doze the heat coming from the face of Lastation's Candidate. "I...I guess so..." was all that she could squeak out.

However, the mere mention of her sister sent a sharp shiver down her spine.

Her sister, as all probably knew, was none other than Lady Black Heart herself, Noire. The Lastation Goddess was well known for her sincerity, honesty, and integrity...as well as a brash attitude that only those close to her could ever suffer with. She was an able leader, do not get me wrong, but let's just say that stubbornness and prideful are only a few words that could describe her personality.

One thing that Uni has learned over the years of being with her sister is that, no matter what, you should never try to ever, and I mean ever, lie to her, or simply never tell her something that she should know. Those things are her pet peeves (or at least a few of them), and getting on her nerves is the last thing you wanted to do.

And considering all the hardships that were terrorizing the nation as of late, her nerves were certainly not something to be tampered with.

So why am I telling you all this? Well...

"Hey, uh, Nep, want to do something else?" Lastation's Candidate asked sincerely, keeping the bag over her head as the water still poured ever so fast to the ground. Nepgear had to hug herself in order to keep warm from being drenched, though her confusion was still evident.

"Do something else? Goodness Uni, I think we should head to the Basilicom. I think this storm's getting worse!" As soon as she said this, a streak of lightning burst through the dark clouds, making the two girls flinch and look away. After that small nightmare was over, Uni let out a huge sigh.

"I know, but...we can go to the arcade-yeah, let's actually do that! Come on!" Uni quickly sprung into action and grabbed Nepgear by the hand, allowing the bag over her head to sag a little bit to the side. Though she tried her best to keep her head low in order to obscure her saddened eyes, Nepgear managed to catch a slight glimpse, which gave her quite the impression.

"Uni, slow down! I really think we should head back! Besides, wouldn't Noire get worried? I know she doesn't like you gone for long," she was of course all knowing of Lastation's problems, and from what she gathered from other times she hung out with Uni, two hours was kind of too much for the older sister. Uni would always acknowledge that.

However, why wasn't she so worried about that now?

"Well, don't worry about that! We still have time to do some things. Kind of don't want to head home right now, you know?" Uni remarked, once again intentionally hiding her face away from her friend. However, that was for naught, as Nepgear was starting to get a little peeved, and when she did, she tended to get a tad bit nosy. All for good reasons of course, but still.

"Uni, what's wrong? You're hiding something! We really should head back now. At least wait for the storm to blow over!"

Lastation's CPU Candidate made an "ack" sound as she stopped in her tracks. She finally showed her face to her friend, and that was when Nepgear saw the hesitation plastered all over. "I-I'm not hiding anything! Stop even thinking that! Everything's fine, so let's go!"

Though her insistence was admirable, Planeptune's CPU was not having any of this anymore. "Uni, tell me what's wrong! Did something happen at the Basilicom?" Nepgear asked, hoping deep in her heart that everything was a-okay. Seeing Uni all flustered just made her sad. Still, an answer had to be given sooner or later. Even the rain couldn't mask away that beautiful resolve.

Uni continued to look at the ground, even letting the bag slip off of her head, allowing that precious hair of hers to get wet. Nepgear tried to lift it back up, but Uni flinched just enough to keep her grasp away. Even though the rain poured fiercely down upon the ground below, the young Candidate of Planeptune managed to see a lone tear escape the eye of Lastation's own.

She tried to wonder what could have lead to this sudden mixture of emotions. Remembering past events, she remembered once that Noire did strike Uni (though both eventually made up), and another incident where a few items were smashed after a random scuffle (though once again, the usual sisterly "I'm sorry" was passed), but even after all that, Uni never really tried to stay away from home. This was unusual.

However, there were two incidents back a few months ago that resulted in Uni nearly getting her head chewed off. It was a simple mistake on the Candidate's part, but the mistake was more than enough for Noire to even transform; if Uni wasn't family, she probably wouldn't be here right now. Thinking about all this, Nepgear slowly concluded what the issue could be.

"Uni...you did tell Noire you were going out, right?"

There was a noticeable silence between the two, thunder and rain being the only thing to break the quiet mold. As their bodies continued to get wet from the rain, and as more and more citizens merely ignored them, dodging quickly as they made their way home, Uni finally looked up at Nepgear, her face suddenly showing a smile. It was a nice sight to see, but even the deluded would be able to see the hesitance in the muscles. "Um...well..." she tried her best, but all she could let out was an unconvincing stammer. Planeptune's Candidate merely gave her an annoyed look.

"Goodness Uni, why didn't you tell her? You know better than anyone her temper isn't great!"

Uni glared at her. "Yeah, of course I know! Why do you think I didn't tell her? If I did, she would've yelled at me anyways!" She dropped the bag and turned away, folding her arms across her chest. "I just...chose the lesser of two evils! It was either that, or working for 20 hours straight with no break because, 'oh no, my nation's failing and yet I'm still so stuck up that I don't want any help!' Oh...but not that we really need it or anything!"

Nepgear sighed. "Uni, you need to tell her! I don't care how angry she gets, she'll still be worried sick! And isn't running from your problems bad? You told me that once," Nepgear managed to secure her hold on her friend, picking her bag up in the process. All the while Lastation's candidate continued to look down again, the guilt flooding her system. "We have to go to the Basilicom right now! The storm's bad, and staying out here would just make it worse! I'll go with you, come on!"

The sudden phrase she just spewed out made Uni look up in sheer terror. "N-N-No, Nep! If we really have to go back, I'm going alone! She'll kill you, you know?"

Nepgear nodded her head, and somehow she had a sweet smile upon her face. "I...Goodness, I guess that is a possibility, but don't worry about that! You should've told her, but I'm still at fault for hanging out with you in the first place. I'll take the punishment too. Besides, maybe I could, you know, talk to her about the shares."

Uni looked to the floor, the rain still bouncing off of her, soaking into her clothing and hair like there was no tomorrow. "Nepgear...you don't have to do that." She said that with sincere honesty, but she knew all to well that if her friend was more than willing to get punished based on someone else's mistakes, than there was nothing to be done in order to convince her. Maybe her sister and IF could, but not her. "Besides," she decided to add, "Good luck with actually convincing her of anything. I don't really want help either, but even I can admit we might need it soon."

Nepgear nodded to her, and suddenly, the two Candidates were on there way to Lastation's Basilicom. "Woah Nep, not so fast. I'm still not too crazy about this!"

Her friend turned to face her and shot her a wink. "Don't worry about it, Uni. Come on, let's get out of this rain!"

And thus, the two ran down the path, holding each other as a cool, out-of-season breeze blew by them.

* * *

Location: Lastation's Basilicom

Back in the Basilicom, Noire paced back and forth in the Main Hall as she looked at the front door, the rain smearing itself upon the windows, making trails as they slid to the bottom. The anger evident on her face was more than enough to send those with weak wills a potential heart attack, and perhaps, just perhaps, that was what she desired.

At the end of the hall stood Lastation's very own Candidate, Kei Jinguji. She sat at a desk with another Lastation guard; she was busy filing paperwork while he just kept looking at Noire, being tasked to make she sure she didn't accidentally blow a fuse. Occasionally, Kei decided to take a small break and read the newspaper she found the other day. It had a strange headliner, and every time she looked at it, for whatever reason she couldn't help but chuckle for whatever reason.

**LAN16: THE FORGOTTEN LEGEND  
**_A sad fate for the lost nation: barely anyone remembers the Land of Orange Omnipotence_

Even she couldn't remember the nation, if she was even alive when it existed, and she knew everything!

She eventually had to look up at the CPU, noticing now that it has been more than an hour of this; no work has been done during this point, as anything she did could only be completed with Noire's permission. "Milady," Kei stated in her strange, somewhat monotone-like voice, "I understand your worries. I am worried too, do not get me mistaken. However, we really should get back to work. The Mayor of Haneda is still planning a defect unless we cooperate immediately."

The Goddess heard her, and she did actually stop moving for a few moments. In her sudden rage, she completely forgot about the job she seriously had to deal with right away, and in doing so she probably dealt a severe blow to her reputation. Still, she did have some justification for being angry like this, and going against her work-based attitude, she resumed pacing. "Well, tell that fat guy to hold on! He, like everyone else, should know that these things take time. Sheesh!"

Kei sighed, and looked back at her folder. Every once in a while, Noire looked at the windows, but always saw nothing but rain. Getting angrier by the second, she let out a groan and rose her hands in the air, the guard just about ready to get her. "Seriously Kei, why didn't she say anything? She has a brain, right? God, when she gets here, I swear I'm going to shove that gun of hers right up her-"

"Milady, please calm yourself." Kei managed to conveniently censor what was about to be stated and walked over to her CPU. "I know what she did was wrong, and believe me, I'll give her a piece of my mind too. However, hurting her will get us nowhere. We seriously have some work to do, so we should get on it."

Noire looked at her boyish Oracle and shook her head, even going so far as to raise a hand at her most trusted vassal. "Look, I thought she was better than this, but I guess she needs to be beat again until she gets that humble sense into her head! Gah, where the hell is she?" Noire nearly tore her hair out, causing the soldier to run up, though Kei denied him permission to intervene.

The Oracle managed to keep her cool, though even her robotic nature was starting to become unraveled. "Look, you were the one who denied anyone to go searching for her-"

"Because I'm not wasting anyone's time to find her stupid little-"

Kei had to hold a hand out, trying to relax the situation. "Look, it doesn't matter now, okay? She'll come back, and we'll deal with her then. Right now, one of our most strategic cities is about to defect, and whether or not he'll join with another nation is not known. We need to satisfy his demands, and with our share shortage, we can't skip over it!"

Noire continued to pace, but even she knew that if she were to skimp out on this, then all the problems she had been dealing with over the past year would be far worse than when it all began. At last, she rose her arms in the air one final time and groaned. "Ugh, fine. It's not like I'm worried about her or anything. I know she'll come running back here soon, especially with this weather," she turned now to head towards a side door, leading into the official work area, but before she disembarked she looked cleanly at the guard. "You! Make sure that if Uni arrives, you bring her to me immediately!"

The soldier saluted her, and he thus began his watch of the front door. With that, the CPU sighed, and began to walk off. However, just as they reached the door, a tiny quake was felt in the Main Hall, to the point that even the lights high in the air began to flicker. No one appeared to lose their balance, but Kei grabbed her CPU and held onto a desk built into the wall, just in case. It last for a few seconds, and when it was over, all they heard was the simple thunder and rain from the outdoors. All three were completely lost.

"Kei, what the hell was that?"

The Oracle looked around, and even grabbed the newspaper nearby, reading the weather section. "Not entirely sure, milady. Perhaps the storm is right above us. Must have been quite the blast."

They stood there for a few more seconds, wondering if anything else would occur, but eventually they decided that it was just a one-off event; perhaps it truly was a random thunder blast that happened to deal a heavy blow. Luckily nothing bad had occurred, huh? "Well, okay then. Ugh, let's just get this over with. Why is that guy always so greedy when the Nation's struggling?"

Sadly for that job that needed to be done, the soldier quickly stopped them in their tracks. "Milady and other Milady, Lady Uni has arrived!"

Kei couldn't even try to stop her CPU, for Noire quickly bolted to the front door, returning the look that could kill anyone unlucky enough to gaze upon it. Indeed, the front door began to open, and Uni's head poked through the opening. "Come on, Nepgear. I think she's in the office."

She didn't get the chance to turn her head before Noire said (or made the sound) "Bevakuah!"

Uni screamed at her sister's presence, and if you listened closely, you could probably hear Nepgear's little yelp. The soldier quickly rushed the two in, grabbing a towel in order to clean up whatever water tried its best to stain the floor. Uni tried to resist him, but the soldier held her tightly, bringing both Candidates straight to the angry Goddess. Can you feel the heart attacks beginning yet?

"Um...hey Sis! Uh...how are you, uh..." even though she had been in this scenario in the past, she couldn't help but stammer in complete and absolute fright. All the Candidate's saw was the Goddess fuming from every pore of her body, her anger clearly knowing no bounds.

"So...not only did you just walk out on the job," her words were hard to make out thanks to the extra snarl she added, "but you even decided to piss me off even more by bringing freaking Nepgear here. Tell me, sis, do you think this would help your case?"

Even though she was angry, the calmness in her voice was far too noticeable, and that just made the whole scene even more awkward. The two Candidate's looked at one another, fear and confusion bottled up in their eyes. Eventually, Nepgear decided to take over, and looked at death straight in the eyes. "Um, I know this is awkward and all, but Goodness, Noire, please find it in your heart to forgive her! It...it was more my fault!"

Uni slapped her across the back of the head. If she had to accept the punishment, she had to be the one to get punished first and foremost; anyone trying to cover for her would simply have to step down. However, Uni couldn't even say a single word, for Noire simply shoved Planeptune's Candidate away and grabbed her little sister by the chest, pulling her close and personal.

"Uni...I want you to go on and tell me in a very concise manner why you chose to disobey me like this. You know you have work to do, right? A lot of it? So much that, if you screw it up, you won't have a landmass to wander about on?"

Once again, the calmness sent shivers down Uni's spine, to the point that it very noticeably paralyzed that tongue of hers. Even the stoic Oracle, who showed no emotion upon that canvas of a face, couldn't do anything when there was an angry leader to deal with. Thus, it was up to Nepgear to step in. "Please Noire, don't be-"

"Stay out of this, Nep! Just go home already! Whatever you're about to offer "

The sudden influx of emotion and anger made the Candidate cower before her. "Goodness, Noire, I'm so sorry! She doesn't deserve any of this, though!" her words were mixed with the tears from those beautiful eyes, though they were simply tarnished before the mighty CPU. "And please, Noire, just accept our help! We want to help you! You're clearly str-"

She had so much more to say, but she caught eye of Kei standing behind everyone, who was busy giving the young Candidate a signal to stop talking (She was making a slicing motion around her own neck). Thus, all Nepgear could do was simply watch the scene unfold before her.

With Planeptune's own finally keeping her mouth shut, Noire turned back to Uni, who was still frightened out of her mind. "I'm r-r-r-r-really sorry, sis! I just, uh, needed a break is all!"

This set Noire off. "A break? You needed a break? You have all of this work that has to be done right now, and you thought you needed a break?" She dropped her grasp, causing Uni to nearly trip over her own two feet. She turned to walk towards the side door, brushing pass her worried Oracle. "You know Uni, I have been up for nearly three days straight now, just trying to get all my work done," this caused her to turn back towards the little Candidate, waving a finger in the air, "but you know what I do differently from you? I get what needs to be done _done_. I don't take breaks, which makes me so freaking angry that you find that you have to.

"We are from Lastation, and do you think the people would love to see their Candidate just running amok like 'oh, there's nothing to do besides everything! I'm so lazy, but not lazy enough to go skipping in the rain!'?" Once again, Noire turned and looked away, keeping her head up as tears from her angry feeling began to form. "You know, I really thought you were better than this, Uni. You too, Nepgear. Guess I thought wrong."

Uni finally recovered herself, her own face contorting with anger. "Noire, I'm sorry, okay? First of all, don't be disappointed in Nepgear. Second of all, I'm not you, all right? I need a break, you don't, and honestly, you need a break, sis! You really do! I know I should've told you, but don't go saying that I should stay up for three days straight only to get nowhere! I'm not you!"

The tension in the room was heating up, and the soldier from before ran from the room, trying to get whatever help he could scurry up. Noire's face turned beat red, and she turned right back towards her sister, her eyes becoming the symbol of power, indicating that she was just a second away from transforming. "What the hell did you just say!"

As the anger boiled between the two, three soldiers ran in. Kei assumed that they were going to try and save this scene from getting worse, but instead they all looked fearful for different reasons. "My Lady, we have something you may want to see."

"Not now, sir! Kinda busy here!"

The three soldiers argued amongst themselves before trying to speak again. "My lady, sorry for the interruption, but this is extremely important! Something has gone horribly wrong in Leanbox! The whole coast is flooded over!"

The anger quickly changed to confusion as they all looked at them. "What the goodness?" Nepgear asked in fright. The three soldiers waved their hands to have everyone follow them. Though Noire would've preferred for this matter to not die out just yet, she decided that this was just a tad bit more important, and thus they all went into the side room (the employee lounge, apparently).

"It's on the news and everything! They're still trying to estimate the damages done and all!" the soldiers were all excited, though naturally they did have a tad bit of sadness over the sudden carnage. They all looked at the TV, and indeed the news displayed a rather chaotic scene. Nepgear and Uni gasped as they observed the whole coastal area of Leanbox just engulfed in the harsh waters, as houses and other structures were completely destroyed. People were seen scrambling about, some trying to help others while others were desperate to help themselves. A sign reading "The Benefit Concert: Starring 5pb!" was busy floating in the open waters, with two people trying to hang on it for dear life.

Even in a state of anger, Noire couldn't help but feel shocked, covering her mouth as the scene revealed itself. "Jeez...what the hell happened?"

Kei herself was also completely in disbelief. "Perhaps that rumble we felt before was whatever caused that. My god, this is horrible," her voice actually appeared to crack. The room was locked in stunned silence as they listened to the newscaster try and update everyone on the current going. She said that the damage was massive, and the death toll was unknown, though she feared that it was high up there. Vert, the CPU of Leanbox, has yet to respond to the sudden catastrophe.

As they watched the screen, Uni saw the cameraman suddenly shift upwards looking out towards the sea. "Why did...?" her question was at first exclusive to her, but soon everyone asked that, as they soon saw a strange sight resting on the water.

"What...is that?" they all asked in unison.

* * *

**LAN16: THE FORGOTTEN LEGEND  
**_A sad fate for the lost nation: barely anyone remembers the Land of Orange Omnipotence_

GHOST 1: In Which a lone business man somehow defines a whole era  
Location: Lan16's Capitol

_Many Years Ago..._

Would it be alarming if I told you that Gamindustri once had more than four Landmasses? No, I am not talking about that Eden place, nor that controller-like island that occasionally floats near Leanbox. No my friends; there was another landmass that existed many years ago, possibly even existing before the CPU's we knew existed.

Once sandwiched between Leanbox and Lastation, the landmass was considered the biggest in Gamindustri, essentially being the size of two Planeptunes (how to imagine it? Well, it jutted out considerably, let's just say that). It was a mountainous region, with gigantic forests and plains that stretched out for miles. Its weather was well known for almost being summer-like, the temperature barely falling from the high levels. With a culture that has existed for nearly thousands of years, the landmass was home to many "firsts," if I could call it that; First dogoo domestication, first movable mountain, first flight with planes, first game with a 3D chip, and it is often rumored that the first sign of Arfoire, the Deity of Sin, was on this very landmass.

Like the others, this landmass sported its own Goddess, and with her rule, she dubbed the land "Lan16." The significance of the name has been lost over time, and to be honest, I don't even think anybody, not even the Goddess, knew. Probably sounded cool, who knows? Anyways, she became one of the five main CPU's of the land, and together they protected their people, as well as occasionally fight for whatever supremacy they felt was necessary to own.

Out of all the nations in the land, Lan16 was, for quite a long time, considered the most technologically advanced. By the time the others even began to figure out how to even lift a man into the air, Lan16 already figured out how to bring people to space, and even invented a flying car or two. It was colorful, as if they took it from a black-and-white film and heavily colorized it, with reds and yellows and blues popping out like a beautiful, if somewhat vexing, collage of wonder.

Now, while technology was big, if you were to visit Lan16 back then, you would find that, for the most part, they were still trapped in what appeared to be a makeshift, eh, 1940's-like era. The flying and grounded cars looked as if they were built in the same place they made tanks, telephone wires hung like vines high above, and speaking of the phones, let's just say rotary phones were still the way to go. Text was old fashioned, ads displayed disturbingly realistic people buying products of questionable value, and if you needed the news, you actually to read a "gasp" newspaper.

People preferred walking as a traveling form, and with their wandering, you will see that regardless of the weather, every single man wore a very fancy suit, while the women wore dresses that must have took hours to put on. They spoke with old slang, wore their fancy hats on top of their heads, and smoked their hilariously humongous cigars, the smoke pouring out of them like their souls from their unhappy marriages. It was a different time; a hopping and bopping time, one filled with glory and divinity, though underneath it all was a simple shadow that could easily overcome all light.

Lan16's Capitol City, much like the rest of the landmass, was enormous, with skyscrapers and tall monuments scratching at the sky, their radiant beauty being overcast by the wonderful light from the sun high above. Any and all businesses found themselves a home within the grid-like community, splendoring themselves with the riches of all the wealthy that partook to the city every day, either for their job or simply for a shopping spree. On the streets you will find a mishmash of good Samaritans, hooligans, drunks, peddlers, merchants, and all the fine ilk that many a grand location will gather.

One of the most famous streets across all of Lan16 was none other than "Bonky Road." It was most certainly not the biggest road on the landmass, but it was well known for housing nearly 60 bars, and let's just say that at that time, there weren't many bars across Gamindustri, and though the Oracles of each Landmass never agreed with anything, it was common to see them all in one of these establishments, taking some time off when the going got rough.

But that was not the only reason why Bonky Road was so popular. You see, the road will go down in history for another major reason. This particular reason, mind you, is probably the reason why the landmass is in its current state.

About a year before the time this flashback takes place, a man suddenly appeared at the corner, bringing with him a cart full of trinkets, liquids, and strange objects that appeared to be watching us all through glass jars filled with an unidentifiable mixture. He wore a snazzy blue outfit, with a black tie that contrasted wonderfully against the white undershirt. His equally blue hat, appearing darker the more it stood under the sun, was perched on his head like it was a natural part, and no matter what wind blew or what harrasser came by, he never allowed it off of his head.

He would show up roughly when the sun first appeared, and would leave when it finally left the horizon. He was always enthusiastic, and even when chills and disease ran rampant, he was always a healthy young chap just eager to sell his stock. Even when it rained, his pale complexion always had a smile on, his teeth always shining bright, as if to say that he was truly the epitome of healthiness.

Was he old? No one could ever say. He spoke like a young buck just getting his feet wet in the business of the merchants, and his face appeared devoid of wrinkles. Yet, if one were to get a good look at him, one could say that behind those green eyes was none other than an old man, reclining in his chair as he watched the world roll on.

What he sold, apparently, were medicines and spices that were believed conjured up by himself. A sign on the cart boldly declared that all of his products were done without the need of alchimization, though many had their doubts. He always shouted from the top of his lungs how his "creations" would help you in whatever dilemma you found yourself in.

Have a bad cough? Here's a remedy. Have a terrible headache? Here's a remedy. A chatty wife or a deadbeat husband? Must I say it again?

No matter what, it was as if he knew what problems people had beforehand, and whenever they walked by him, he would have just the thing at that very moment. As the road was frequented by many in the Capitol, it was expected that everyone would eventually encounter the man, and thanks to his rather colorful way at business, he would usually win them over.

The best remedy he could give out, naturally, was the "Hangover Spell." which for a place starring many bars, was a gift sent from Celestia herself. Soldiers and guards would often find him there, and usually would promise to beat him up after a drink or two; they would only demand for one of the spells, thank him, and continue on their way. Even the other Oracles knew of him, and bought whatever they needed at the time. It was this that garnered him a little bit of local publicity.

Yet, no matter how popular he probably got, not a single soul could ever tell where he came from, how he made his work, and most importantly, what his name was. You would think that someone would eventually ask him these questions, or maybe a someone would trail him home, but no matter what, it was as if his own Charisma made you forget to ever ask him. As for the trailing, a lot of people tried their best, but in the end, once the sun settled down, it was as if he vanished into the night, like he was never there to begin with.

Thanks to his rampant disappearances, and lack of any information associated with his person, he garnered the nickname of "Ghost." (there were many variations, some adding a Mr. Prefix) Adding fuel to the mystery was the fact that when the name started to be said, he actually etched it on his little cart, and began to call himself that.

In the end, he was a legend, and a rather helpful one at that; whatever he was doing was working, as the success rate for his potions was astounding. So much so that one day, Lan16's Oracle decided to bring it up to the CPU.

This was were things got a little interesting.

It was a warm morning in Gamindustri's equivalent of May, with the sun beating down on the colorful city. Heavy cars and feet trudged throughout the many paths and roads as a haze grew in the air, making a rather heated commute. Still, the men and woman, adorned in the finest wears the era had to offer, continued to walk on, as the all-new "talky-games" were being displayed on the windows of buildings.

As you took a turn onto Bonky Road, you might have had the chance to hear a loud voice. "Come one, come all! Have a problem to be mended? An itch needing a scratch? Ghost has all the remedies you will ever need! Come one, come all!"

Many passerby's waved to the man standing at the corner, while others decided that hey, he's a legend in his own right, and took photos of him. Others merely ignored his presence as they entered the bars around him, though others did make a quick stop to buy one of his "patented" recipes. "Thank you sir and madam! Know that your purchase was worth all the credits you gave! Have a good and healthy day now!"

He shook hands with the men, chatted with the war veterans, kissed the misses upon the hand in a courtly gesture. To the kids he spoke of wondrous tales, and to those that merely chose to see him as a nuisance, he either patted them on the back and wished them a good day, or simply saluted them as if they were brave warriors.

He never even took the time to eat or use the bathroom, and many began to question if he even had to do such trivial things. Certainly he must, but you just couldn't say anything. He was always there to greet the folks walking by, regardless of reason. "Have a glorious day, courtesy of your neighborhood Ghost!"

As the hour passed that morning, three soldiers from the Basilicom itself began to appear, standing on the opposite side of the road, watching intently as Ghost performed his magic. They all wore heavy armor (as was a standard at the time), weaponless but fully experienced in the art of fighting. The heat of the morn was quickly getting to them, and underneath those tough exteriors were the actual bodies of the men, slowly being baked underneath the tough sun. Still, they apparently had a job to perform, and they were to do it well.

"Sir, when should we, you know, do it?"

The front man of the group (as indicated by the strange horns on his helmet) turned to view his lower-in-command. He then turned back to face Ghost, who was surrounded now by many a young pedestrian. "Wait for it to clear out a little. I rather have no scene, understood?"

To which the other two guards nodded vigorously.

Thus, the three continued to eye the merchant, his medicine being handed to all that came to view him. At one point, a car stopped right in front of him, and a young lass hopped out, yelling some sort of profanity at the poor man. Two people within the car had to restrain her back, though even as the car continued forward on its quest, you could still hear the woman scream. All Ghost did was smile and saluted. One could say that it was earnest respect, though some felt that a hidden meaning was hidden deep within that smile of his.

As the morning dragged on, one of the guards behind the captain was starting to breath heavy. His partner looked at him and nudged his shoulder. "Hey man, you okay? He tried to get his captain's attention, but that man was too fixated on his goal, and just couldn't resist continuing to stare off. "Look, say something a'right?"

The other guard turned to him, and rather weakly rose a hand, his fingers making an "A-OK" symbol. "I'll...I'll be fine, buddy. I'll be fine," he couldn't even talk without feeling his world go dizzy. He brought an arm up and tried to wipe some sweat off his forehead, though his helmet naturally prevented this. He took a gander at the bars behind Ghost. "Though I wouldn't mind a stiff drink or two..."

His words were cut off by the captain of the trio. "There. Our opportunity presents itself!" The crowd around Ghost had finally died down, with only one to two remaining nearby; even the traffic surprisingly stopped short for the right occasion. If they were to do whatever it was that was needed to be done, the scene had to be as cleared as possible. "Ready men? Begin the approach!"

Thus, the three finally decided to cross the road, ignoring the angry drivers that simply wanted to get to work early that day. The weakened soldier continued to show his weariness, his movements looking as if he did actually take a drink or two.

Ghost waved goodbye to a young lady as the three soldiers finally arrived. As if on cue, a bar right behind all of them had its radio on way too loud, and thus a thick crescendo of trumpets and saxes played in an ominous fashion. The young business man, ever not faulty in his ways, merely jumped just a tad bit at the sudden sight, but he returned to looking very cheerful. "How do you do, loyal Gents of Lan16? Faring well on this beautiful morning?" His words sounded so generous, though they naturally nestled a sense of luring.

The Captain, along with the other two, kept their faces still, though it was impossible to make their faces out to begin with. They simply stood there like statues, overlooking the young merchant as they judged the shop next to him. "Ghost's Shop: You Don't Stand A Ghost of a Chance without a Glance at my" was all that it said on the side (apparently he didn't think of a word that rhymed with Glance and Chance, or at least couldn't find one that made sense). Ghost's smile did falter a little bit, but his stance remained. "Um, is there something you three need? I'll be happy to give you something! Soldier discount, my friends!"

After staring idly for a few minutes, the Captain finally rose his hand and pointed at Ghost, making the merchant once again flinch. "Ghost, on the orders of Lady Orange Heart, you are hereby placed under arrest, and are to report to the Basilicom immediately for your punishment!"

The Captain and Ghost watched one another intently, both with different emotions and feelings. The Merchant had absolutely no idea what to make of all this. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" Ghost couldn't help but ask, placing a "patented" cleaning stick in his ear in order to hopefully clear his hearing. "Did...did you just say that I'm under arrest? May I ask what the charges are?" Even when placed in such a strange predicament, the man still kept his cool and smile on.

The Captain folded his arms, his demeanor refusing to change. The guards behind him looked on cautiously, the weakened one starting to stumble in his stance. "Of course sir, I suppose I can give you the dignity. I..."

The weakened guard suddenly rose a finger in the air. "I...I..."

The Captain turned to him, his face within the helmet growing concerned. "Hey soldier, what's wrong?"

The other soldier tried his best to hold him up, but the weakened soldier let out a sickening groan as he fell to the sidewalk. Those around the area were startled, and the scene the Captain hoped wouldn't be birthed...was unfortunately commencing.

"Check him! What the hell?" The man had to place a hand over his head as he watched his miniature squad crumble under his wake. He turned to Ghost, and noticed that the young merchant was now at his cart, appearing to be grabbing some sort of flash from a bottom compartment. "Hey, Hey! Don't move!" The Captain realized he had no weapon to sport at Ghost's neck, so instead he decided that his finger would do the trick. It at least looked intimidating enough.

However, the young salesman refused to listen to the Captain. As the other young soldier took his helmet off and used it as a makeshift fan, Ghost pulled out a strange bottle filled with a purple liquid. "Excuse me, soldier. I believe this will do the trick!" The other soldier looked at the salesman, but before he could do anything, the Captain intervened, holding the young merchant's shoulder.

"When I say don't move, I _expect _you to not move! Failing to listen to me is a federal crime, buddy, and is punishable by death!"

Yet, even with the harsh punishment clause, Ghost still refused to listen. He actually fought off the Captain and knelt down by the fallen man, who was making a groaning sound. He asked for the other soldier to remove the mask, and when he did it was evident that the man was red and sweaty; dehydration was starting to take its course. "Worse than I thought," Ghost mumbled as he held the man up.

The other soldier looked at him with a puzzling look, and he was about to yell, but once again, he couldn't get his words out before an interruption occurred; the Captain merely watched at this point, still baffled at how Ghost managed to get away from the hold. "Sir, I need you to call an ambulance now. My potion will keep him hydrated for a while, but he will need serious help, do you understand?" his words were still kind and generous, and even in this horrific sense of turmoil, he was still smiling, dimples and all.

In no time flat, the soldier quickly flew by his captain and ran up to a telephone pole, where a phone case happened to be located. Dialing in the numbers, he quickly yelled, "Lan16 Basilicom Unit 3-156! We have an emergency on Bonky Road, just outside " Bar." Requesting an ambulance immediately!"

As he called for the order and the civilians surrounding the scene grew more and more concerned, Ghost fed the man the strange potion, helping the burning soldier from choking his heart out. In the midst of coughs, the soldier asked the merchant who he was, losing his mind on where the heck they were, but in the end, the young man placed a finger over the other's mouth. "Don't speak, my friend. Everything will be all right. Help is on the way."

All the while the Captain just stood there, still feeling his authority and ego being crushed under all this. The other Soldier ran out into the street, waving at the ambulance as the crowd only continued to grow. Finally, in order to regain himself, he ran up to the crowd. "Everyone, please leave the scene! Nothing pretty to see here, folks!"

Soon, the paramedics appeared, and the soldier was wheeled away onto the metallic truck. As the truck drove off into the far distance, all that were present began to clap at the heroism displayed by the local legend. The other two soldiers held the responsibility of shooing any and all that wanted to catch another glimpse of the scene, or hell, even report it and make a scandal for some quick credits. All the while Ghost stood there all bashful, returning to his job as if nothing had happened, forgetting that he was even placed under arrest to begin with.

To tell you the truth, so did the other two soldiers. After the crowd had finally fizzled out, the Captain ran up to the other soldier. "Look, that was a mess. I don't know what happened, but we need to save face," he looked over at Ghost, who was selling some strange powder to a young couple, "let's arrest that sonavabitch!"

"But sir," the other soldier finally got his word out, "He probably saved his life! I know we have a job, but don't get angry with him!"

The Captain merely shook his head. "Look, I don't know, and nobody really does, but either he saved that soldier or killed him with that drink! He'll be getting the double death penalty for this!"

The other soldier tried to stop him, but his leader quickly ran up to the salesman, pushing aside some potential customers. This time, Ghost didn't even flinch. "Yes, Gentleman? Quite a scare that man gave us, no?" The Captain, who decided to take off his helmet for this occasion (it truly was getting unbearable in it), ran behind the salesman and cuffed him with handcuffs he apparently sported. "Um...oh dear, I'm still under arrest, aren't I?"

The other soldier felt incredibly guilty, but nodded his head at Ghost anyways. "Yes sir. You are under arrest for selling medical substances and items that require a certificate or license to actually sell to the public. Forgive me, but you must now visit the CPU and see what your fate will be!"

The Captain nodded as well, and tightened the cuffs as much as he could. "You have also probably attempted to kill one of my men. If he truly died by what you gave him, you will face hell for sure!"

Thus, the two soldiers holsted Ghost in front of them and began to do the long walk towards the Basilicom. Many of the people around the area booed the hell out of the them, and some even attempted to throw things, with the Captain being the recepient of a freaking trashcan smashing against his head. Thank god it was a weak one!

"So I supposed it's too late to offer you some free goodies?"

The Legend of Ghost would continue to grow even after this strange scene, and many still wonder if not arresting Ghost would've changed the flow of the future.

* * *

From _Neptunian Theory: The Ultimate Plot of Celestia:_

"...He alerted me that day that, should anything go wrong, I should try and do everything in my power to take everything I own and run for it. The whole world will do everything in their power to stop me, and if that were to occur, than his beliefs will come true. I had no other choice, then. I had to do what had to be done..."


	5. PART 1: Lyrica's Bizarre Flashback

Chapter 5: In Which a Certain Idol Awakens into a Catastrophe  
Location: Leanbox Coastline, off of Connecto City

Her eyes were pretty heavy, but eventually she managed to open them, allowing her to see the unfortunate destruction that had befallen the world around her.

5pb (and to some, known as Lyrica), a well known Idol respected by all in Gamindustri, awoke in a rather strange fashion. She felt numb all over, her head had a terrible ache, and it seemed that for whatever reason, half of her body felt as if it was submerged in shallow water. She didn't feel any pain (besides the head thing), but she had to admit, getting up was rather difficult, as if she was lying on a board for a prolonged period of time.

"Uhhh...my head...what happened last night?" her question went to no one other than herself, and though she wasn't known as a partyer, and thus had little chance to be in a predicament similar to this, she always believed that at some point, she would awaken out of nowhere hungover. She rubbed her temples as she sat up, feeling a dull sensation marching up her back as she tried to raise her knees up to her head. However, this was where she assumed that something went terribly wrong.

For one thing, her left arm was okay, but her right arm was in water, hanging limp as the current tried desperately to drag her away. Much like her arm, her right leg was also falling in, bobbing as if it was disattached.

Shocked, she tried to brush off her weariness and figure out what the hell is going on. Getting her appendages out, she looked underneath her, and what she saw made her shriek. Apparently she was on some sort of wooden structure, possibly a wall or something. It was cracked in many places, but the one part she was on miraculously had no damage. Then again, why would it be damaged to begin with?

Hell, why is she on a wooden board to begin with?

"What...where am I?"

Realizing that she was floating on some water, she slowly stood up, carefully keeping her balance as the board bobbled back and forth. She feared it would've sunk, but thankfully it was pretty buoyant. Getting some more awareness, she looked around, her eyes growing larger and larger as she saw the destruction bobbing with her. The sky was cloudy, with only a hint of sun peeping through, and for whatever reason, Lyrica felt as if it was the perfect skyline to match the scene.

All around her were pieces of wood floating about, along with radio and electronic equipment (thankfully either off, disabled, or in safety mode) sailing out further into sea. Pieces of fabric with words she couldn't make out were slowly sinking underneath the waves, and what appeared to be the structures of some houses, hopefully with nothing alive still remaining within.

Speaking of the living, people clung to whatever they could, as screams for help began to leak through. Some were forced to just swim without any support, and with that, they appeared to be losing against the battle with the tide, and if help didn't arrive soon, it was probably over for them. Many of the bodies, though, didn't attempt to swim, and the less said about those people, the better.

"Oh my god...what happened?" Lyrica couldn't help but feel tremendous sorrow plague her body; seeing the countless number of people struggling to stay alive, while her own life appeared to be pretty safe all things considered, just made her feel that much worse off. Still not comprehending what the hell had occurred moments prior to this, she carefully went to the side of the board and began calling out. "Please, if you can, try coming over here! I don't know how long this board will stay up, but please, try and swim over!"

Unfortunately, the roaring waves made communication almost impossible, and though some noticed her, they just didn't trust swimming, fearing that their own weakness would drag them away. At last, Lyrica felt terribly helpless, and she fell to her knees. The only thing she could think of doing, besides making a futile effort to call for help, was figure out where they were. Whatever happened that caused this must've hurt her in such a way that her memory was either wiped or simply damaged. That was simply no good.

She looked out behind herself, and noticed that a few buildings were standing, water filling the streets and alleyways right around them. Underneath the crushing water was none other than the very sand of a beach, with hundreds of chairs floating about right above it. Her board was over said beach, which terrified her even more than the water around the buildings. "Did a tsunami hit? Oh man, what was I doing out on the beach then? Why are there so many people? We were warned, right?"

A wave smashed against the board, and she was nearly thrown off, though she managed to hang on just before going off the side. A lot of people still trying to get help were now swept underneath the waves, and she wondered where they were brought, _if_ they were brought anywhere to begin with. "Please tell me they're okay! I couldn't handle it if they weren't..."

Soon, another sound started to overtake the rushing water. She felt her hair getting blown all over the place as the sound of a helicopter began to take hold of the air around her. Keeping her eyes barely open due to the force presented, she manged to look up into the heavens above. Bouncing off the starch gray background, green helicopters began to descend just above the water, with the people within ready to deploy the rope ladders just in case. There had to be a dozen, possibly more, with another helicopter high in the distance, presumably the newscopter that broadcasted footage for Noire to see.

_We're saved! Thank goodness!_

One helicopter in particular came down right towards her, and for a moment she truly believed that it did not see her, and thus it was going to land right on top of her already disheveled frame. She coward before it, placing her hands over her ears as she awaited for whatever to occur, but luckily the vehicle stopped just somewhat to the left of her. The rotors were by far too loud for any human to take without feeling a slight tinge of deafness, but it at least indicated that she was still alive.

"Lyre...hop o...re you hu...?"

She heard a voice from within, but she couldn't make out whatever the hell it was saying. Sounded familiar though. Unfortunately, though it was right in front of her, Lyrica didn't know if she could make it to the chopper. She suddenly felt how the people in water did.

Suddenly though, two hands grabbed her shoulders, making her wince in fright. She felt the presence, which felt rather warm and welcoming, slowly bend down, to the point that she felt their head nestled right next to her ear. "Lyrica, it's okay, I got you."

That was a voice she recognized completely. She slowly turned her head to view her savior, and the first thing she noticed was the nice, flowing blue hair reminiscent of her own. "M-M-Mages? Is that you?" Lyrica felt a lump in her throat at seeing her rather close (if distant figuratively speaking) relative, who appeared all right amongst the catastrophe surrounding them. She saw her smile, and that in turn made the idol suddenly feel all right.

She looked at the helicopter, and to her surprise, she saw IF within it, reaching her hand out. "Mag...ld." Apparently she had the voice that called out before. Lyrica felt a tear run down her eye as she saw that familiar sight, and soon she felt an arm scoop her off her feet. Mages holstered her sibling up, lending her a hand as the two of them haphazardly waltzed over to the rescue helicopter.

"Everything's gonna be okay, Lyree. Don't worry."

Grabbing IF's hand, the two bluenettes stumbled into the chopper. Once they were fully in, IF signaled the pilot to continue flying, to which he lifted back into the air, high above the water-filled hell below. Everyone within could only stare in shock at the extent of the damage wreaked upon the world.

Once she finally recollected herself, she looked at both IF and Mages, who were busy inspecting her, making sure that not even a single strand of hair was missing. "Lyrica, are you all right? Compa, I don't see anything wrong, but you're better at this than I am!"

This made 5pb look to the side of her, and to her surprise she saw the nurse that accompanied the group against ASIC many a day ago. Compa, a young medical nurse who specialized in curing all kinds of ailments and diseases, was busy working up a strange liquid into a gigantic syringe. "I'll be right there, Iffy! This...little...erm...almost...got it!" Apparently she was struggling to close the lid on her trademark item.

Once the syringe was secured, she turned and walked over to the fallen idol, gently kneeling down near her as she placed a soothing, warm hand upon Lyrica's head. "Are you okay, Miss 5pb? You took a nasty hit down there!" the words from the medic were extremely comforting, and for a moment, even the idol forgot about the troubles she had just experienced.

Still, the nurse demanded an answer, to which Lyrica responded, "y-yes. I think I'm okay," she stated, rubbing her head once again, feeling the clamminess of her other appendages as they still remain soaked, though thankfully IF and Mages were already drying her off. The sight of this made her feel guilty, but she still had a warming sensation building within. "Guys...thank you for this. I'm sorry for being a bother."

IF shot her a look, and even gave her a sly smile. "A bother? Lyree, you were in trouble down there! I should be the one saying sorry for not getting there sooner!" the brunette relinquished her hand towel and slowly placed her hand on her friend's chest, her smile slowly shifting into a caring one. It was enough to make 5pb's heart skip a beat.

Mages ran a hand through her own hair, a snarky look playing upon her muscles. "Heh, she would've been all right anyways. Anyone related to me can survive anything this world throws at us!" she said with a prideful boast, looking up at the ceiling as she let whatever she felt run through her body. It sounded somewhat arrogant, don't get me wrong, but it was a behavior that 5pb knew all too well, and deep within the words, she knew Mages was probably the most concerned out of all the guests within the flying tin can.

As the two were busy helping their friend/sibling out, Compa walked towards the cockpit and looked out at the scene below. The water had finally stopped, thus allowing the other 'copters to finally have a chance to lower peacefully. There were still thousands of people displaced in the gigantic puddle, with some desperately trying to claw their way onto their rescue vehicles, though naturally this wouldn't be good for anyone. "This is so terrible. I can't believe something like this would happen, and so suddenly!" A hand was placed over her mouth; she surprisingly didn't cry, but she looked to be at the breaking point.

Even the silent Mages looked somewhat shocked. "It was quite the quake. I doubt Vert even knew it was going to happen. Hell, if I may be so bold, I doubt the guys who predict this stuff didn't know about it!" her voice was rather serious this time around, her attention still on her relative, though her mind beginning to march someplace else.

The three began to chatter so casually about the apparent disaster, and Lyrica was still left in the dark. What occurred down there to begin with? Was she doing a concert or something? She tried her best to remember, but unfortunately nothing was coming up. Thus, thinking of another way through this dilemma, she went on asked her friends. "Um...I'm sorry for asking, but I really don't remember what happened. I get that there was a quake, but, uh, why was I down there again?"

IF turned at her, completely stunned out of her mind. "Wait, you don't remember? Seriously?" She quickly ran over and checked her friend's head, looking for any bruising and bumps that Compa probably missed on her first investigation. Seeing nothing, she backed off a little, just enough to see Lyrica nod her head, a perplexed look playing on her face. "Wow, I can't believe that! Uh, should we check on this, Comp?"

Compa walked over and joined them; she tried so hard to smile and brighten the mood, but no one could blame her for failing. "Well, she was caught in the waves, so I wouldn't doubt her having some sort of amnesia." She looked over at Lyrica's head again, trying to see if there was something that wasn't supposed to be, but like IF, she came up blank. "She'll remember it in no time, I'm sure. I've seen Nep forget about things five minutes after they occurred!"

IF folded her arms. "Well yeah, that's Nep you're talking about!"

Seeing as how the other two weren't necessarily being helpful, Mages decided to chime in. "Lyree, do you remember the concert? Any part of it?" She reached behind herself and pulled out a water-worn guitar, it's strings still held together, though its padding was starting to fall apart. Lyrica immediately recognized it as her own, and snatched it, holding it tenderly. This freaked the already freaky girl out, but nevertheless she remained calm. "You were playing on the beach for Lastation, remember? The Benefit Concert?"

5pb eventually sat up, though Compa immediately forced her back down, stating she needed her rest. Lying on her back, she started to see tiny pieces of her memory slowly come back; very slowly, but it was a start. "Er...I think I do. I remember a lot of cheering and drums..."

IF snapped her fingers. "Well, I think that's it! Yeah, you played my song before everything went to hell, right? Yeah, I think it was my song..." even the brunette wasn't perfect with her memories, making herself place a hand upon that chin of hers as she desperately tried to recapture everything once again. Mages chose to remain quiet, staring longingly at the ocean below, watching the helicopters do their work and save every soul they possibly could. The medic was busy speaking to the pilot about something, leaving those two now the only ones trying to remember.

Looking at her busted guitar again, she took it with both hands and, without the usage of a pick, she strummed a tiny tune that came right off of memory. She didn't really think about what it was, but apparently the tune she played was none other than the song IF had written. This perked her friend's interest, as she ran and knelt down right next to her once again. "Yeah, that's it! Man Lyree, even with a broken guitar, you can still play good!"

The others took notice, with Compa sending out a smile and Mages, though trying to look cool and distant, was shown tapping her foot. It filled the atmosphere with a much needed bliss, and was a wonderful contrast to the scene below.

As Lyrica continued to play, quite nonchalantly at that, she slowly envisioned the stage she was on, playing with a band as they hoped that the proceeds would benefit the ailing Lastation. Was that what it was for? Probably. She played the solo of the tune, and felt the crowd once again, clapping along and cheering as she played the rather difficult portion with relative ease. It made her smile, feeling fully invested in the tune as the crowd within her head was pumped and ready for anything.

To her, this was heaven.

So where did it all go wrong? When did the tsunami strike? Why was it so sudden?

The questions appeared to ring more and more within her mind, as more and more memories flooded back into her like the waves below. She remembered sitting behind the curtains of the makeshift stage, telling her session band how exactly the night was going to go down. She remembered now that this was an unauthorized concert (an impromptu one of sorts), and she remembered IF mentioning how Lyrica was such an angel for trying to help out those in need in the neighboring nation to the north. She remembered Mages appearing surprisingly, hugging her sibling with all of her might. That was an extremely pleasing thought, no doubt about that.

But as she remembered this, she also remembered another strange occurrence, something that even if she did have a clear-cut memory, she would still probably doubt to the end of her days.

"Hm? Lyree, you okay? You stopped playing..."

But IF could only watch as Lyrica went back into the past just a few hours prior, reliving the events that lead to this great catastrophe.

* * *

_An Hour before hell broke loose..._

"Hm?"

As she hugged Mages, 5pb caught sight of a strange...thing, wandering by the boxes close to the water. It looked like a misty shadow, flat and lacking any sort of definition, as if it was disattached from its owner. It was only present for a few seconds, but as soon as she caught whiff of it, it was already a faded memory, with no traces of it remaining.

Her sibling noticed the idol's attention sudden change, and she broke the hug with a confused look. "Lyree, may I ask what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Even with those words, the other blunette couldn't grab Lyrica's interest, as the idol continued to observe the background, trying so hard to see the thing again, but to no avail. Mages looked at IF for help, but the brunette merely shrugged, trying herself to see what could've been so interesting. Much like her friend, nothing was really popping out, making the whole situation rather awkward.

Hoping to break the silence, IF patted 5pb as hard as she could. "Hey, uh, Lyree! You go on in a couple of minutes! Got everything you need?" it was a silly question, as the idol was more than ready, but maybe it was so silly that everything right now would be resolved, Lyrica would stop staring at nothing, and the show would go on as normal. Thankfully, it seemed to work.

"Oh? Uh, yes, yes I do! Thank you for reminding me, Iffy!" Lyrica stated with a happy face completely void of that whole "oh snap, I just saw a specter running about!" look she sported moments prior. She bowed to the two of them, and once again picked up her guitar, taking a seat on a lone box in the middle of the room. The other two ladies looked at one another, but decided to not pursue it. Maybe it was just a random scene that had no merit in the end.

From the curtains came a young woman with a headset attached. "5pb, you're on in five minutes, okay? Five minutes!" She soon departed away as the band currently on the stage, playing a tune that sounded quite funky, while at the same time laden with a bubblegum-like appeal. She was naturally not the only one present for this wonderful show, but many did buy their tickets exclusively to watch her make magic upon the stage, and she was not ready to disappoint them.

With five minutes left before showtime, IF walked over to speak with the session band mates, who were all rather antsy to finally play with the one and only 5pb. As she did this, Mages walked over to her sibling and settled down next to her, adjusting her witch-like hat as she looked up at the cloudy sky above. She listened to her tune, and though she was very far from what we would call a "music buff," she could at least identify what tunes she enjoyed, and luckily Lyrica fulfilled that taste. "I wish you luck out there, Lyree. I don't say this much, but...you are good for doing this."

Lyrica couldn't help but blush at that, somehow her playing not being deterred. "Thanks, Magey. I hope you enjoy it. IF's written a lot of these, and they are just too cute to pass up!"

That threw the magician off. "Wait, seriously?" Mages looked over at IF, who was still busy talking to the other bandmates. "Sorry, I just don't see her as the writing type, let alone the 'music writing' type."

This made Lyrica giggle. "Yeah, I thought so too, but she's really good at it. I'll admit some of the lines are really corny, but when you actually sing it, it really makes it sound nice!" she continued to strum a few extra parts out, making sure she got the part down pat, looking at the curtain as she awaited her time to shine. "She's really poetic when she gets down to it. I'm not shy to say that I attribute a lot of my success to her."

Mages smiled and stood up, brushing a hand through her sibling's hair. "I see. Well, I'm glad to see the two of you getting along so well." She noticed the brunette starting to head back, smiling with a grin that could make any soul swoon. With that, Mages nodded to Lyrica, and began to walk off. "I'll be here in the backstage rooting for you. Both me and the Overseer wish you the best of luck!"

Lyrica didn't even try to question who that other party may be, and instead waved her sibling off. As soon as she did, IF finally made it over. "Session band's ready. You up for this, Lyree?"

Strumming out the last note, 5pb stood up and smiled with a hint of bliss. "Of course, Iffy. I'll even play that new song of yours! It's so deep, I can't just pass it up!"

Iffy was taken back by this. "Wait, are you serious? Um, but that isn't my best work! I-I mean, it sounds so forced, and kinda melodramatic. I don't want your imaged ruined because of me!" the brunette was completely flustered, refusing to make any eye contact. That just made her even more adorable, and Lyrica couldn't help but giggle under her breath. "H-H-H-Hey! What's so funny?"

5pb still laughed even after being asked. "I'm sorry, Iffy. You're just so cute when you're like this!" she replied with a sincere look, still trying to hold back any laughs still hiding within. IF folded her arms and glared at her, but eventually even she started to laugh, lifting the mood if only by a little bit. Once that small tirade was done, Lyrica suddenly hugged her friend. Let's just say that her reaction was quite priceless. "Thank you for everything, Iffy. I mean it."

A tiny giggle came from the brunette. "You always thank me, Lyree, but you never actually say why. So...why?"

Lyrica looked deep into her eyes, and the uneasiness of the scene only made things that more awkward. "You're the one that wrote most of my songs, silly! All of them are great, and everyone just loves them! I just feel so guilty though, because people keep walking up to me and praising me for it. They should be going to you. So...I want to say thanks on their behalf!"

IF couldn't help but break her gaze away for a moment, "H-Hey, come on! You're the one that has to sing them! That's way harder to do than writing! I could never get on that stage like you do," she retorted, trying her best to keep her eyes away from Lyree. Unfortunately, the idol was quite persistent, hugging her friend even harder than before. In the end, the brunette couldn't help it any longer.

"Well," she began with yet another chuckle, "I can definitely disagree to that. You deserve a lot more recognition IF. I really mean that."

They continued to hug, even to the point of IF actually getting over her embarrassment and hugging back. Mages watched from the background, only smiling at the two. Whatever was going on in her head will remain unknown for an indefinite amount of time.

Eventually though, the hug had to be broken, as the announcer on the stage began to proclaim that 5pb was on next. The session band walked over, readying their equipment for the great performance ahead, while the curtain master warned the idol that one minute remained until the opening began. With that, IF bowed to her friend, handing Lyrica a spare pick just in case. "All right, Lyree, I'll be back here with Mages. You're going to kill this show, I know it!" she proclaimed. The idol bowed to her in respect, and soon she was left with her own band to manage.

This was for Lastation (yes, it was all clear to her now), and with all the proceeds already obtained, she was sure to give them the best that she could. "Okay guys, are you all ready? Let's rock!"

Thus, the curtains rose high into the air, and the crowd outside, already numerous to the point of obscuring the sand, went so ecstatic that anyone within 10 kilometers would probably hear it in all of its clarity. She waved to each and everyone of them, feeling a high only those in the entertainment industry would ever receive. She looked to her band (who were all experiencing their own variation of euphoria), making a hand signal towards the oddly-placed drummer behind her. With that, a count was made, and soon the band was starting to play.

"Hello Leanbox! Are you ready to rock?"

Her loud greeting made the whole place erupt once again, almost deafening the sound of her music. With a smile, she rose her pick high into the air, making it glisten in the retreating sunlight, and slowly bring it down upon the 6 strings below. IF and Mages merely clapped in the background, happy to see this all go so well.

With a view overlooking the sea, Lyrica played and sang her heart out, feeling the beat of sound so lovely upon her body, making every note she played sound nearly as incredible as the actual album recording itself. She played fast songs, slow songs, some even being mere instrumentals; she sang a bubblegum tune, an electric, a rather somber tune, and even a tune that sounded like an army marching into battle. No matter what she played, the crowd ate it up all equally. It was really grand to hear, and with every tune by IF she performed, she would look over at her friend and shoot her a smile. The brunette would merely look away flustered, though Mages began to tease her just to help her sibling out.

Her whole stint was supposed to last for roughly an hour or two, depending on how many encores she was probably going to play. Overall, it was a great show, with everything flowing as great as expected.

But of course, all good things must come to an end, correct?

As she played, she at one point looked towards the sea, watching the waves bounce back beautifully as the sun was fully enclosed by a heavy blanket of clouds. It was a great sight to behold, and though she enjoyed playing either in dark arenas or at night, she felt that this was the perfect setup for a grand performance.

But as she played, she noticed something standing right on the water itself, just a short distance from the rest of the crowd. She thankfully caught sight of it right as she reached the solo, for if she sang, this performance would've been ruined. She still gave off a pleasant look, but her eyes were clearly displaying a look of uneasiness as she focused on the being before her.

It was a bizarre sight to behold, as the being looked transparent, the water behind it fully visible through its abdomen and legs. It was like a ghost simply apparating out of nothing, only there for a split second before becoming a doubtful experience, though this ghost was not vanishing so quickly.

_What is that thing? Am I actually seeing this?_

Very slowly, the being began to walk towards the crowd, which made the Idol tense up in confusion. Were they able to see this thing? It didn't seem like anyone was even aware of its presence, and just from a simple observation, it looked as if it was just watching her intently. Its creepy walk made her shudder, and a chill ran up her as she witnessed it reach the front rows.

As soon as it reached past everyone, the whole entire world seemed to freeze, leaving the only moving objects it and her. She was completely spooked out of her mind, and by using her basic instincts, she tried her best to move her body, but for some reason the only thing she could move was her head; the rest of her body was still rocking out, though she couldn't hear the sound being produced. "W-What's going on? Why can't I...why is everyone...?" There were so many questions to be asked that she just couldn't even finish one of them. Everything was far too surreal for her head, and she even began to wonder if she passed out onstage, and was merely dreaming up a terrible nightmare.

The being was right at the stage, but instead of climbing up to greet her, it instead stood there and pointed towards the sea. Lyrica didn't really know if she should try and listen to it, but considering she wasn't going anywhere else, she decided it was probably the right thing to do. She tried to call out for IF and Mages, but taking a quick glance behind herself, she saw that they were in no rush in listening to her. "Um...okay then. Oh, please don't let this kill me!"

She looked out towards the sea, and noticed that the sky was growing darker and darker by the second, with the sun turning a deep shade of red. Was this all that she had to observe? It was creepy, sure, but it was...I don't know, lackluster for her? The being continued to point, however, and even started to look like it was straining after awhile. "What does he want me to see? I don't get i-"

Suddenly, she felt a strange vibration around the stage, and even some of the frozen people began to hop about in their seats, looking like they were on a twisted carnival ride of which had no end. "W-What's happening?" She tried to do something, but it seemed that her body was perfectly balanced, as her arms still strummed a silent beat. Trying to think of something, she looked down at the being, this time growing rather irate. "Hey! What's going on here! Please, say something!"

By saying this, she apparently caused something to stir within the ghoul-like being. It began to shake uncontrollably, looking as if it was going to collapse into a mess of metal parts on the sand below. However, it still looked up at her, and its strange eyes, so very similar to that of a fly's, began to glow a sinister red, much like the sun above. She metaphorically jumped back in fright, and perhaps to find something much less threatening to look at, she looked back out at the roaring sea. "Oh God, what's happening? Please, someone explain something! IF! Mages! Please, anyone!"

That was when her eyes caught sight of what appeared to be the sun falling out of the sky. Her eyes opened wide as she witnessed the strange orb fly straight to the ground, all the way on the horizon line. Her pupils trailed it on its deadly journey, never once blinking as her focus never left it. "What is...please be a nightmare!"

Once it reached the sea, the entire world went completely black. Everything that was once in front of her, including the disturbing being itself, vanished without a trace. Her body was still frozen, her hand still strumming, though it seemed it was finally reaching the end of the song as it was coming to a grinding halt. Once her hand officially came to a halt, she stifled her breathing as she watched the dark world before her. "..." she couldn't even mutter a single word. Let's just say that even after fighting what many may have considered to be the devil, this was still the scariest thing she had ever been a part of.

_Oh please, someone wake me up!_

Well, something would, for sure, as the next thing she noticed was a gigantic bright light filling the horizon. It grew and grew and grew, much like the fear building within her. Within the bright glowing orb was none other than a gigantic explosion-like cloud, itself building up with flames eroding from within. For once, she finally heard a sound, though it was most certainly not the type of sound one should ever hear.

The light eventually encapsulated the darkness, and soon she saw the beach completely, this time seeing all the people finally moving, but in slow motion. _What is going on? Why can't I move yet? _She struggled to move now, and it seemed that she regained some form of control, though her movements were rather minute in the end.

The slow moving people, once stranded in a clapping pose, now looked out towards the sea, where all of their faces, once filled with emotion and bliss, were now filled with absolute terror. Though they were still too slow, their screams sounded rather quick. Lyrica couldn't find the being anymore, though she didn't honestly check hard, for it seemed that the waters were still a huge problem that had to be overcome.

As the explosion roared like a terrifying lion, the ocean began to conjure up one of the biggest waves 5pb had ever known. It slowly approached the beach, and the closer it got, the taller the watery wall became. By the time it was halfway across, it completely obscured the explosion behind it.

That was all that the idol could remember.

* * *

"An explosion! There was an explosion!"

Mages, Compa, and IF all jumped at Lyrica suddenly coming out of her trance. Even the idol was confused on where she was, but once she regained her bearings, she sat up and looked at everyone. "There was a huge explosion out on the water! That's why everything's flooded! It made a gigantic wave!"

The other three looked at one another. "Um, forgive me, but I don't remember any explosion, Lyree. Are you sure about that? I really hope you aren't suffering head trauma," Mages replied, clearly not convinced by her sibling's rather lofty tale. Compa, just to make sure, ran a hand through the idol's hair, though 5pb surprisingly shrugged her off.

"I remember it now! There was like this huge missile thing, and it exploded, and that's how everything...well, everything went downhill! I swear! I saw it with my own eyes!" she truly did see it, as we have all observed it with her, but she feared saying anything more, from the evil being to the world completely going still. Seeing as how they were already doubtful, saying anything like that would land her straight into the nuthouse.

IF shrugged and gave out a sigh. "I don't remember an explosion, Lyree, just the big wave. Maybe you're mind's just trying to make sense out of it? It's really confusing, honestly."

Lyrica shook her head, getting incredibly frustrated. "I swear I saw it! It was freaking scary and horrible and everyone was scared and...and..."

The fright and sorrow finally got to her, and she ended up breaking down right where she sat. IF quickly ran to her and held her close, patting her back. "Hey, hey, it's okay, Lyree. It's okay, it's okay..." she tried her best to be as soothing as possible, allowing her jacket to get wet by her friend's tears. Mages gave off a weak smile, before turning back to look out the window.

"Who knows, honestly. It could've been an explosion, for all we know. Hope it wasn't a stupid attack made by stupid people. I'm still impressed a lot of people actually survived that," Mages said through the grit of her teeth. Compa nodded to her, praying to everything she could that this whole experience was not some strange declaration of war, or something like that.

As the four of them went on to be silent (besides the sounds of crying), the pilot of the helicopter finally got word to leave the scene. However, as he was about to turn the flying can, he noticed the fog over the horizon starting to lift. Once the area started to clear, he made a loud gasp. "Hey, uh, one of ya ladies might want to see this!"

Compa, still the closest to the man, quickly ran up to him and looked out the window. "No idea what it is ma'am, but I was listening to your conversation about the explosion and such. No idea if this answers that or not!"

Looking out over at the horizon, she made just a loud of a gasp as the pilot did. "Oh...wow..."

Mages, ever intrigued, decided to join the medic, and even she looked very surprised. "IF...Lyree...get over here now! This isn't good!"

Still crying, 5pb heard her sibling's calling, and with the aid of her friend, the two of them walked over as well. In order to join the group, they too were just as surprised. "What...what is that?" IF asked, a hand covering her mouth as she still had a hand over her friend's shoulder.

"It..is it," Lyrica was still choking up, but the sadness quickly turned into curiosity as she tried to not fumble with her words.

With a collective effort, all five people said the chilling words in unison as the object of their focus began to show its dark overcast.

"A landmass!?"

* * *

From _Neptunian Theory: The Ultimate Plot of Celestia:_

"...I was told to bring it as far as humanely possible. I refused to believe the world was any bigger than the landmasses of Gamindustri, but he showed me a map that proved otherwise completely. There was a whole other portion of the world, perfect for moving things very far away. Well, with the luggage I'm carrying, this would be the ideal place to move then. That was why I did it..."


	6. PART 1: Nisa and the Villain?

Chapter 6: In Which the Appearance of a lost Nation comes to haunt a few of our Heroines.  
Location: Southern Lastation Slums

About an hour after the horrific quake, Nisa was busy running about the desolate ruins of what was once the poorest side of town, desperately trying to answer all the calls for support. By some form of miracle, she only suffered a cut on the head, and even that wasn't deep to begin with; quite a surprise for someone that stood on top of a building during the fallout. Still, that just gave her reason to not rest, as it looked like the National Guard was going to be late this time around.

She ran through the times square, the very location where she defeated a few baddies moments prior, helping an old woman pick herself up and find safety. "See that road over there, fellow citizen? Just keep following the trees, and do not even think of going on the Highway. Let's just say that it won't be fun." The woman shook her hand, blessed her soul, and with the help of another, less injured sir, they walked off to what she perceived to be safety.

"Jeez, how could something like this happen? Lastation doesn't get quakes like this!" the Heroine of Justice mused to herself, wiping the sweat from her brow as she continued her trudge of being a rescuer. She saved a dog from drowning in a big puddle, reunited a parent with her child, and with the help of two hurt police officers, she lifted some debris off of a poor family and a few dogoos at that. While it was all uplifting, and naturally it was the thing she was destined to do, there was only so much she could endure before fatigue settled in. "I can keep going! That's what a heroine would do...though even we need some support, but no matter!"

She heard yet another cry for help, this time coming from a group of children that were playing marbles before the blast. "Relax children, I'm here to help!" she loudly proclaimed. Seeing the rock above them, dangerously close to entombing them for the rest of their tiny lives, She carefully calculated within her heroic mind, and with a swift kick, the rock flew off out of harms way. It was a good thing to do, though her her leg now cried after the sudden jolt of pain. Still, whatever it took to save them in the end, right? "Take my hand! Everything's gonna be all right!"

She managed to get all five of them out, and while they were thankful and appeared rather unscathed, one of the kids was still crying out of sadness. "Do not fear, young child. You're safe now, and I'll personally make sure you stay that way!" She hugged the little kid as tight as possible, rubbing his head in the hopes that she could actually soothe him. She had to tell the others to quit wandering about, but it seemed that the rest of them were still looking down the hole they were just buried in. "Hey, don't go back down there! It was dangerous before, and it's still dangerous now!"

However, the kid she was holding looked up at her. "You don't understand, ma'am! Our friend is still down there! We don't know where he is, though, and I'm really scared!"

This shocked the Heroine, and slowly she relinquished her hold on the little soul. "I-I see! Well then." She went to the hole everyone else looked down upon, and as she gazed down there, she wondered where the other kid could've gone, considering that the hole could probably only hold the five kids; how could there possibly be a sixth one?

Still, a life was a life, and she needed to keep it safe.

She looked over at an overturned potted plant, smashed against a broken neon sign, its electrical current thankfully disabled after the quake. "Okay, I'll go look for him, but the rest of you need to stay over there for me, okay? It's still not safe to just wander around, okay?" The others sadly nodded their heads, and holding hands like she soon asked for them to do, they wandered over to the fallen plant, sitting in anxiety as they hoped for their friend's safety.

With that, she slid down the hole and landed with a thud. "Okay, girl, find this guy quickly! He couldn't have gotten far!" she looked around the small area, but all she saw was the sunken road, seeing absolutely no crevice for even the smallest of lifeforms to ever fit in. She pushed some rocks here and there, but they didn't hold any secrets within. "Hey, anyone down here! Please say something! I'm here to help, so don't be afraid, sir or ma'am!"

She looked everywhere, but eventually she had no other choice but to give up. There was just nothing else down here, so she had to assume that either the kid managed to escape before anyone else realized, or he was never down here to begin with. _Nothing. Man, I sure hope you're safe, little guy, _she thought to herself, adjusting her wet scarf as she began to head up back into the world. While the rain began to slow down after the quake, it was quickly coming back with a stern vengeance.

However, as she began her ascent, her eye caught something within the shadows. Stepping back down in confusion, she walked over to some cracked rocks barely being held up, and in-between two of these slabs of stone was something that would haunt anybody for the rest of their days. "Oh no. No no no no no no no no!" She quickly stammered as she ran to it.

The object, unfortunately, was an arm hanging limp, dirt smeared all over it. Her eyes bugged and her skin gone clammy, the Heroine of Justice readjusted her bearings. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of there!" taking a deep breath, she prepared her hurt leg, slapped her chest a few times, and super-kicked the top rock as hard as possible. Unfortunately, it did not move, and it only served to hurt her even more. _Don't give up. You can do this, Nis, just don't give up!_

She kicked and kicked and kicked again, and though the rock began to shift, her leg was just getting worse and worse. "Gotta do something else!" thinking rather fast, a quick boost of adrenaline screamed through her body, and soon she appeared to have found strength within a different appendage of the human body. "Don't worry, help is still on the way!"

Cracking her knuckles and saying a quick prayer, Nisa grabbed the top rock and began to heave with all of her might; punching it would only injure her more. Struggling like she had never struggled before, she used every muscle and fiber within that toned body of hers in order to hopefully get this kid out of harm's way. There was no guarantee that a happy ending will come of this, but no matter what, this was not where the boy will remain. She couldn't bear the thought of that.

With a loud yell, feeling her back nearly give out, she somehow surmised the strength of nearly 10 Nisa's, managing to not only lift the blasted rock off of the body, but also managing to lunge it behind her, somehow keeping her back and forearms relatively unscathed. Once the task was done, she nearly collapsed within herself, losing the power to continue standing. "Whew boy, that was tougher than I thought. Seriously have to get working on that!"

Snapping back into reality, she looked at the boy, who was bloody from head to toe, his eyes shut as dirt was covering his face. Taking a gulp, she quickly ran a hand from his neck to his chest, hoping to find something moving, but it was just too hard to tell. "Come on, kid, please stay with me!" she mumbled in a frantic way, scrambling as she tried to find any sign of life.

"What would Compa do? Where did she find the pulse? Er, come on..."

A lightbulb shot out of her head, and with the sudden memory coming back to her, she looked at the boy's hand and grabbed it, delicately placing a finger on his wrist. She took a few deep breaths before focusing intently, hoping that somehow, she was going to feel something that could indicate his life still existed. "Please, oh please be okay."

As she was losing hope and the rain began to fill up the hole, she felt a sudden shift in the boy's body. Looking over him, she saw that his chest was slowly beginning to move up and down, and his mouth was opening and closing quickly, as if he was finally awakening from a long slumber. "Yes, yes! Do you hear me? It's going to be okay!" She felt a tear coming from her eye as she carefully scooped the boy up. He was still alive after all that, and though it was clear that the injuries have taken their toll, he still had the chance to make it out of this. _Thank goodness! This Heroine of Justice nearly lost it there!_

The boy groaned as she was about to climb out. "Take it easy, kid. You'll get better in no time. I guarantee it!"

"Is that so?"

Nisa's body froze at the deep, disturbing voice she recalled all-too well. Slowly turning her head, she caught sight of the unholy being she became acquainted with not too long ago. "Y-Y-You! W-What in the world?" She literally felt her body become a statue, trapped within this makeshift burial ground.

The being, still cloaked heavily in a big shawl, stood as tall as the hole itself, his head just barely hitting the roof. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to mind, which just made the situation worse. The Heroine of Justice held the boy even tighter, her own face becoming contorted with anger. "Just who are you? Where'd you go, and most importantly, what the hell do you want?"

The being let out a hellish laugh, clapping his hands together as if he heard a great joke. "My word, still so defensive, are we? Even after such a horrific quake? I must say, for a lady fully endeavored for the sake of justice, you lose your cool quite easily!"

Her teeth began to clench as she had to restrain herself from retaliating violently. "Shut up! Any Hero or Heroine would be disturbed when the freaking devil begins talking to them!" Looking down at the hurt child, she began to ascend anyways, though she never took her eyes off of the dark being in the shadows, The rain slid down her body, and if the creature didn't move soon, half his body would be obscured by water. That wouldn't be a true bother for the Heroine of Justice, but it was still something worth noting. "I bet you caused the quake! What are planning, you felon?"

He clapped his hands again, the water apparently causing no bother to his demeanor. "Oh, you must understand that I can't cause things like that. Quite a good shake, though, hm? Truly wonderful, but it was not of my creation," he spoke very sophisticated, even letting out a guffaw as he merely wadded through the watery floor. The Heroine of justice held the boy tightly as she exited the hole, which for some reason made the man laugh even harder.

"What's so funny?"

He quickly stopped his blissful action and shook his head. "My, oh my, you truly are stupid, eh? Why bother bringing that boy out of here, anyways? It's perfect for a grave, and what do you think is going to happen? It doesn't take a trained doctor to tell you that those injuries will prove to be fatal. Not even a miracle can save him."

She nearly lost herself there, feeling the flames bounce within those eyes. "How dare you say that! He's gonna survive, no matter what! He'll be perfectly safe, you understand me?" she shook her head and finally turned away; she wanted to so desperately beat him up and lock him away for good, but she had far too many pressing matters to address first. Besides, should he stay down there, either he would have to leave eventually, or he will drown in a karma-induced moment, at least in her eyes. "I don't even know why I doddle with evildoers such as yourself! He needs help now, so leave us alone!"

He let out a chuckle as the rain water filled up to his knees (quite a heavy rain, no?) "Well, whatever, I guess. I'll be seeing you soon, Heroine of Justice. Can't wait for that day to arrive!"

Nisa didn't even bother looking back as he vanished without a trace; anything at this point would just serve to anger her even more. Cuddling the kid in her arms, she hid him from the rain as she quickly got to the other children, who were at this point surrounded by a few National Guardsmen. One of them saw the Heroine of Justice, and quickly scooped the boy from her. "Please, take him to the hospital immediately! He doesn't have much time!" The man nodded vigorously, and pulled out a walkie-talkie, beginning the order that would hopefully save the child's life.

The other kids, observing the scene in its entirety, slowly began to cry. Realizing that this ordeal could be viewed as traumatic, Nisa bent down on one knee and placed a comforting hand on who she believed was the oldest one in the group. "Hey, everything's going to be okay. Your friend just needs some help. Hey, how about we get out of this rain, hm? Come on."

They all reluctantly followed the girl that saved their lives, heading towards a few more guards busy setting up a tent. "Excuse me, dear sir, but these children have nowhere else to go. Is it okay if they remain here until the damage has been fixed?" The guard looked at her and shrugged.

"Whatever, madam. As long as they don't cause me any trouble."

It was a sassy remark, and Nisa truly wanted to sock him in the face; her mood was clearly not being altered. "Thank you, sir. It truly means a lot." She looked down at the kids once more. "Okay cadets, for now you are to remain here until this rain stops. These fine folk will take care of you. I'll find your parents or guardians in the meantime, so don't worry for them either!"

The eldest kid in the group looked down. "Are you sure our friend will be okay?"

Nisa let out a huge sigh. She remembered that horrifying beast of a man within that makeshift tomb, laughing about how that little boy will not survive. It was a horrible thing for him to say, and never in her life will she ever truly believe he could just die after all that, but deep in her mind, she knew that those injuries were pretty bad. Still, she would never tell them that; not in a million years.

She gave them a heroic smile, this one without even the slightest hint of hesitance. "Of course he's gonna be, little buddy! I just need all of you to believe in him, all right? Your faith could be the best medicine, after all!"

The little kids were still frightened, cold, and confused, but with those confident words, she was surprised to see their tiny little faces light up. "If you say so, ma'am. We'll believe in him no matter what? I still have to beat him in marbles!" he said all that with his fist high in the air, determination playing throughout his body.

She gave them all a thumbs up, feeling grand that she managed to please somebody in a dire situation. Once the tent was set up, the national guardsmen rushed the little souls under it, allowing their bodies to be free from the unforgiving precipitation. "Madam, you're not coming under?" The guard asked, flexing his muscles for whatever reason. As she squeezed the water out of her scarf, she merely rose a hand up and down.

"Thank you for the offer, but I must decline. Justice never sleeps, and neither do I! I still need to find people, after all!"

The guard shrugged and went back to setting up the tent, accepting far more people than he should. With that, the Heroine of justice continued on through the rain, huddling herself tight as a cold wave of wind blew by, making her drenched abode shake and waver. "Jeez, this is not good weather for me! Still, there's people trapped, and I must help them!"

Thus, she went back to her standard routine, pulling people out of rubble or helping the injured hobble over to safety. She asked each adult she found whether or not they lost their kid, but all of them gave her the same answer. As the rain started to cloud the land below, Nisa grew weaker and weaker, and eventually she had no choice but to sit down upon a piece of stone that once belonged to a building high above. "Oh, I can't just give up! They must be around here somewhere! Oh, but where could they be?"

The rain bounced off of her as she once again wrung her scarf out, feeling helpless as more of the National guard arrived. Judging by their faces and fatigue, it was clear that wherever they just came from was hit badly as well; just what caused this quake to begin with? _It's all so weird. I want to blame it on that guy, but not even Arfoire could cause something like this! _She rationalized as she looked up to the darkening sky. "This is truly a dark day for Lastation. I sure hope no one else got hurt from all this!"

As she thought to herself, resting those legs of hers in order to begin rescuing again, another truck carrying relief soldiers arrived. However, whereas the others were either dazed or tired, these soldiers appeared extremely frantic, grabbing hold of another group as fear ran rampant through their bodies. "Boys, we have terrible news! Our Lady Black Heart is under attack!"

Everyone, including some homeless and the Heroine of Justice herself snapped their gazes at them. One of the grabbed soldiers threw the other off. "What the hell are you talking about? What do you mean she's under attack? Like, right now?"

The soldier nodded extremely fast. "Yes sir. I received reports within the Basilicom! An unknown broke in. She, along with her sister, and for whatever reason the Purple Hearts, are under attack and are probably going to die and are-"

"Soldier, this is clearly alarming! Why didn't you drive up there then first? That's freaking pressing, don't you think?"

"I'm sorry! I get so confused and sweaty under pressure!"

"Then why the hell did you become a National Guardsmen?"

_Noire is under attack? How can...what? _This left the Heroine in a complete state of shock. "How could she be under attack? By whom? Who would be dastardly enough to attack her in such a crisis?" she slammed her fist down hard on the stone, pretending that it didn't hurt her as she stood up. All the soldiers were thrown into a panic as many began to rapidly question what on Gamindustri they should do. They had people to save, but at the same time their own leader was in danger, and whatever they were taught in order to handle this situation was quickly thrown out the window.

"We have to go back to the Basilicom! If our leader dies, these people wouldn't have to worry about surviving to begin with!"

"B-B-But Lady Black Heart told us to always save the people first and foremost. We can't just leave them behind! Can't we at least just keep half of us down here while the rest defend her?"

"No! If this being is causing so much havoc that even the CPU is struggling, all of us are going to be needed!"

The arguments began to start up, though it seemed that very few were actually taking the initiative to actually protect her. Nisa shook her head, looking at the chaos coming from the very protectors of the people. People were still being rescued from the fallen city around them, and the soldiers appeared to be more focused on them; I presume that's a good thing, but it's truly hard to say.

_What do I do? I need to help find those parents, but these guys clearly have a handful to deal with. What to do? _She would feel guilty just downright leaving the vicinity, but if no one was going to save the freaking leader of the nation, then someone had to do it.

Flexing her arms out and stretching those legs, she made a rather hasty decision. "These guys seem more than ready to help others, so I should leave the job to them. Man, I hope I'm getting good karma points for this!"

The parents were out there, but she was just one Heroine; these were a lot of soldiers all wandering about; surely they had a better shot at finding them, no? It went against her creed to leave the struggling behind, but she did recall owing the Lastation Goddess after the whole ASIC incident. "Okay, I've made up my mind. I'll head over there, foil an evil plan or two, and be back before suppertime! That should be quick enough!"

Proclaiming this loudly, along with having an aura of flame surrounding her, the nearest police chief walked up to her with an eyebrow cocked up. "Eh, Nis? What's gotten into ya, this time? Glad to see you suddenly pumped, but still..."

The Heroine of Justice shot a fist into the air, ignoring the fact that this was the same man who questioned about her former Alchemist friend. "Yes, I am pumped, sir! Too many have been hurt, but from what I have gathered, the villain has shown themselves at the Basilicom! Someone has to foil their plans, and I will be the one to prevent any further damage!" She placed that fist onto her hip, the rain becoming nothing more than a distant memory in her mind. The officer couldn't say the same thing obviously, though he had to admire her spirit.

"I-I see. Well then! Uh, but how are you going to get there? All of us are down here, and as far as we know, everyone with her has already been, you know, defeated. It will take us some time to get there via truck with all of this damage. You planning on hopping in with us?"

Her resolve was still unwavered, the flames still burning all around her body. "No need for that, sir! As a heroine of justice, I have learned multiple paths throughout Gamindustri. Traveling from here to the Basilicom will take no more than 10 minutes!"

` The officer still had no idea how the woman worked, and merely sighed. "Well, if you say so. We're sending support whenever we can, so you won't have to deal with this alone," he went onto his radio and began chatting away at another battalion located elsewhere, hoping they were already well on their way to the Capitol. When that was done, he turned back to her. "You think that sidekick of yours is already on the case? Love to see you two fighting alongside one another again."

Even with the words that nearly tore her apart before, she still looked heroic. "Who knows, sir! Either way, this villain will be stopped before this grows any bigger! With that sir, I bid you the best of luck in your future endeavors!"

Taking a deep breath, she looked up to the building above, somehow managing to remain standing after all of the chaos. Making a random gesture with her hand, she quickly ran up to the wall, placed her feet on it, and proceeded to successfully run up it with a speed never seen before on this landmass; Planeptune, but not here.

"Good luck to you as well! Man, I will never understand that woman!"

As she hopped her way over the desolate building tops, her mind wandered about, her thoughts focusing on both that injured boy and the demonic being that appeared to be stalking her. Who was he, and why in the hell was he so interested in her? Was he with Noire now? Had to be him; after all, he fit all the qualifications to be a terrific super-villain, at least in her eyes. Certainly there was him and only him, right? Perhaps it was a different person, though, and if that was the case, were they in cahoots? Was this man just a red herring to everything?

For some reason, that made her wonder what Gust was doing at this point. Where was the Alchemist, and was she okay?

_There's...there's no time for that! Just have to get to the Basilicom pronto! There's no time to lose!_

* * *

_ Moments earlier..._

"So the whole landmass is hurt, and you're still yelling at _me_?"

"Uni, just because this happened doesn't mean I forgot all about what you did! And seriously, Nepgear, either leave Lastation or just get out of the Basilicom!"

The sight on the TV was not enough to deter Noire, as she was now pacing back in the main room, wondering how to both adequately send out relief forces, and how to properly punish her "idiotic" sister. Soldiers within the Basilicom scrambled about as another bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. The two Candidates watched her angry movements while the Oracle was busy sending out orders in another room.

"Noire, this is a really bad time. Please, I can call Histoire and my sis! We can send help! Please, you can't do this alone!"

The CPU stopped in her steps and looked right at her, her glare piercing Planeptune's Candidate's soul. "You! You have no right to tell me that! I know what the damage is, and I know I can do this without your help!" She was about ready to pull the hair out of her scalp, her whole body tense and her mind blinded with rage. "Jeez, I know you're a goody-two-shoes and all, but you are just really annoying, you know that?"

Nepgear looked down with an insulted face, causing Uni to really flip out. "Don't take this out on her! She didn't do anything wrong, all right? Look, I'll accept whatever you give me, but is that really our problem, sis? Seriously, think for a second!"

This did absolutely nothing to calm her sister's mind. "Shut up! I freaking know what our problems are, all right? You really think I'm stupid, don't you? First you walk out without even telling me, and now you think that after all of this time, I still can't prioritize! Urgh, I'm seriously contemplating ripping both of your heads off!"

They both winced at her venomous words, though Noire managed to restrain herself. "N-N-Noire," Uni stammered, trying her best to get to her sister before something rash occurred, "just please calm down! We don't even know what-"

"Don't. Even. Finish that."

Her suddenly calm voice sent a chill down both of their spines, and Nepgear held Uni, hoping that she herself will remain calm during this. The lightning brightened the dark sky above as the rain began to really come down now. Some of the soldiers outside began to huddle up, trying desperately to keep both dry and warm, though such a task in a big rainstorm such as this was nearly impossible.

As the three of them vented their problems, Kei wandered into the hall, actually looking quite frightened. "Milady, all relief forces have been deployed. Half of the landmass is crippled, and we have a bad feeling that a lot are already lost." She took a seat by a podium, and for once looked completely restless; perhaps hearing about such destruction was enough to harm her mentally.

Noire sighed, finally calming down after being filled with desperate anger. "Kei...was that really a landmass we saw out there? It couldn't be, right? Just a low cloud?"

The Oracle sighed and slunk in her seat. "Milady, I managed to reach Chika. First of all, some of our relief forces have been sent out there; sorry for not telling you. Second, she didn't want to believe it either, but there's no other way to describe it. We tried contacting it, but we don't even know if it's inhabited."

Uni was still shocked at what she saw. "Well, it has to be. I mean, how else would it show up like that?" Though the Candidate brought up an excellent point, Noire's glare made her quiet immediately. Still, the Oracle shrugged.

"We still need to estimate the damages before we pursue it. Right now, Lastation and Leanbox are hurt the most, though based on its size, I want to believe that all of Gamindustri should've been destroyed. Not to sound all dark and all, but we shouldn't have survived such a displacement in the waters. Not even Lowee."

"Yikes, Kei, that sounds pretty terrible. But come on, You really think that after fighting so many baddies, we die by one big tidal wave?" Neptune asked out of the blue.

"Well, no...but it just seems so strange why it didn't. It's like someone managed to hold back the quake and..."

Everyone slowly turned to face the front door. Standing tall on the "Welcome!" mat, soaking wet with the residue rolling off of her trademark hoodie, was the very CPU that both haunts and somehow pleases Lastation's own. Her hair drooped and a game console in her hand, she looked as if the whole destruction thing didn't even happen.

"N-Neptune!?"

Planeptune's CPU rubbed the back of her head, making a tiny giggle. "Eheheh, this is a _lot _of layers of awkward, huh? Um, how are ya doing, Noire? Everything cool? Just, you know, coming in to check on my dear ol' sis is all!" She said it all so casually, as if this was just yet another day for the Goddess to live through. Noire and everyone else were completely stunned, with Nepgear feeling a tad bit of embarrassment, trying her best to shrink and hide away.

"N-Neptune...what are you doing here?"

"Hm? Didn't I answer that? Are your twintails making it hard to hear? Really, I'm just here to check on my sis, seeing as how she's been gone for a while, and frankly, Histy's being kinda mean. Also, this game of yours requires online play, and seeing as you play it a lot, I kinda want to..."

Nepgear ran up to her. "Nep, I'm okay, but goodness, didn't you about the quake? How's Planeptune, is it okay?"

The Goddess was confused. "Quake? There was a quake? Nep Jr, you're not thinking the thunder is a quake again, right? That was such a hilarious moment! Why isn't that in any of my games?"

Nepgear somehow pulled off a facepalm. "Neptune, this is serious! There was a quake, and now there's a big landmass near Leanbox!" Neptune still appeared so clueless to everything, and at one point went back to playing that game. "You...goodness, you really have no idea, huh?"

Noire decided to intervene. "Of course she wouldn't know about it. She's Neptune!" She went up to the console and knocked it out of Planeptune's CPU's hands, causing the purple-haired girl to freak out a little. "You only came here to get your sister right? Absolutely no other reason?"

Still slightly peeved about losing her console, she looked up at her with a disturbingly serious face. "That's about it, console-wrecker. Though, seeing as how you all look so scared and such, I guess I can offer to help you with those-"

Noire nearly punched her out, but Uni managed to grab her fist in time. "Wow, take a chill pill, Noire! Still, the offering's agood, so whenever you want to accept it..."

Nepgear quickly ran up to her sister. "Goodness, um, we'll be leaving Noire. Come on, sis!"

Uni felt somewhat hurt by this development. "Um, if you say so, Nepgear. But...are you even allowed to leave? Aren't the skyways and trams disabled right now?"

Kei looked up at the dreary sky. "Well, if they were to take the ones to Lowee, that should be fine, I presume."

Neptune began to feel bummed out. "Man, my handheld's ruined, and now my own Nep Jr. is forcing me out of Lastation. Well, if you ain't welcome, might as well leave while it's hot!"

Noire turned away and began walking out of the foyer, pushing away some of the guards in the process. "Good riddance. Now it's just me and you Uni. Get ready for hell, you little brat!"

Both Neptune and Nepgear cringed as Lastation's Candidate looked completely frightened. Kei merely turned her seat away, not really one to enjoy watching such hostilities take place. It was a sad scene for the Candidate, but even with the dark storms happening all around them, Noire just couldn't be stopped.

And that was when a guard smacked into the window.

"What the hell?" Noire proclaimed, her eyes frozen in shock as everyone jumped. Neptune and Nepgear backed away from the door, holding their hands out as screams were heard outside. "What...Kei, you're close to the window! What's going on out there?"

The Oracle tried her best to see out there, but the fog from the rain was not doing them any favors. "Dammit, I can't see anything!" She pulled out a transceiver from her pocket and flipped a switch on it. "Front Gate Troop, what the hell is going on out there? Front Gate Troop!"

The other line was filled with static and gray noise, but eventually a distorted voice came through. "We...something's attack...Get our lady...it won't...aaahhh!" With that, the connection ended abruptly.

High above them, all of the lights in the room began to flicker constantly, waving the room from somewhat bright to disturbingly dark. "Uh, Noire, either you're making this into a horror attraction, or we are seriously about to be screwed! It's the horror attraction option, right?" Neptune hoped to reason, even feeling her cheerful countenance slipping away as the soldiers outside were still being attacked.

Everyone slowly shook their heads as they tiptoed as far away from the door as possible. The lights continued to flicker on and off as the soldiers within the building got into a fighting stance, aiming their weapons as they awaited for whatever the hell was attacking to reach the front door. "Anyone, please respond! Shit, what the hell is going on out there?" Kei was growing more and more flustered, and when a robotic-sounding girl is actually displaying fear, it is time to panic.

More and more soldiers smashed against the windows, all being knocked out upon impact. Lightning struck once more, and as another soldier bashed against the front door, the lights finally gave in, plunging the Basilicom into a dark abyss. Neptune hollered and cried as she clung to Nepgear, acting like the damsel in any classic horror movie of the day. "Goodness sis, I can't breathe!"

"Everyone, get ready! Arm yourselves!" The leader of the small unit of soldiers proclaimed, boosting all the officers inside as they switched their guns out of safety mode. The Goddesses and the Candidate's all prepared to transform, hoping that this issue will be done quickly, and forgotten about soon after. Whoever had the capacity to take out a lot of soldiers like that was clearly a threat, but it was certainly no match for four extremely powerful individuals.

Eventually, the whole world went silent, with the rain and thunder being the only things to break the quiet. The only thing that could be heard within was the raspy breathing of everyone, all waiting in anticipation for the evil being to wander in, if it could even be classified as an evil being.

"Soldiers...prepare to fire," Noire proclaimed, readying her suddenly procured weapon, allowing the rage she felt over Uni to manifest itself into an action-like energy. Thus, for nearly one minute, every one just waited, wondering what was going to reveal itself from the front door.

Slowly, as the rain still poured like a deadly river, the door began to creak open. Everybody's eyes grew wide as it swung open, the graying fog not being enough to obscure the being that stood in the doorway.

"What...the hell?"

The door finally slammed against the wall, and the being standing in the doorway, clad in a straw-like hat and a giant shawl that stretched to his feet, slowly began to walk in. The wind from the storm blew his outfit about, though he appeared non-deterred after all of it.

With a walk that appeared to show him injured, everyone stared in confusion at the apparent attacker as he casually wandered in, as if he had returned home from a long trip.

* * *

From _Neptunian Theory: The Ultimate Plot of Celestia:_

_"...Bear with me, I have no recollection of such a scene with Histoire. I've only been told that it had occurred from my late protege and Sir Neptunian, and their stories were faulty, at best. If I did actually do something, I would assume that I wouldn've have made it this far, though perhaps I was just lucky. It's honestly hard to say, but until the day comes when I return, I will simply have to assume that nothing happened."_


	7. PART 1: The Phantom Arrives

Chapter 7: In Which the Dark Man Returns  
Location: Lastation's Basilicom

The soldiers and high-ranked officials looked on in horror at the bizarre sight before them. Noire couldn't even breathe correctly as the being, clad in a dark shawl barely visible in the already dark atmosphere, slowly entered the Basilicom. The rain poured right into the lobby, soaking the priceless tiles of Lastation's finest architecture, the being's reflection looking quite horrid in its clarity.

A hat, one made of straw, covered his head as the lid was pointed down. His gait, looking like a man that was injured brutally from the waist down, made his movements wobbly like a top starting to end its spin. With every press of his foot onto the ground, lightning struck high in the heavens, the thunder following soon after.

Not a single other soul within that room was calm; every muscle in every body was shaking, both out of fear and of confusion. Even Neptune, the girl that could stare directly at 20 mid-level bosses and merely let out a snarky comment, was finding herself locked in her place, her eyes bugged out. What the hell was this thing, and what the hell did it want? Considering what just occurred outside, it clearly wasn't here for anything remotely pleasant.

"M-Ma'am! Your orders!"

The lead general grabbed his flag and held it high in the air; he knew it was wrong to simple open fire on a person with no positive identification, but he wasn't caring about that when half of his men were plastered against the windows of the Basilicom. He tried to get the CPU's attention, but Noire was too busy focusing on the strange being. However, her fearful gaze was slowly transmogrifying into pure anger, her body being filled with rage unlike any other.

With a large flash that could blind an unfortunate onlooker, Noire's human countenance vanished without a trace. Even the being, though looking off from the scene, had to stop as the CPU of Lastation slowly returned to the land of the living, her body now clad in a battle-like outfit, with metallic structures floating all about her person.

"You are trespassing in Lastation's Basilicom and have harmed too many of my men! Turn back now, or I will drop you where you stand!"

Her godly voice echoed through the dark halls of the building as everyone slowly backed off; the soldiers attempted to as well, but the general kept them put, never ceasing to break formation for any reason. Neptune placed a hand on the back of her head, somehow getting a sheepish grin during this rather daunting scene.

"Well, if Noirey's transformed, might as well join her! Watch me, Nep Jr., this is gonna be explosive!"

And with that, Lady Purple Heart became her true form; that of a powerful woman with a demeanor that truly exemplified seriousness. It still begs the question how she could be so radically different as a Maker, but there are some mysteries best left unanswered. Thus, the room was graced with the presence of two high-leveled woman, their blades powerful enough to make mincemeat out of anything. It freaked even their little sisters out, even though they too shared the same power.

Though they were indeed a threat, for whatever reason, the being simply stood, unwavered at this sudden development. He merely kept the hat on, standing limp as the rain continued to pour directly in. Noire and Neptune looked at one another, both disturbed by his rather stoic demeanor. Still, anger was only building in both of them more and more, wind picking up underneath their floating bodies. Uni and Nepgear were fully prepared to transform as well, but Kei held them back, hoping to keep all damage at a minimum here.

"This is your last warning, you freak! Leave my Basilicom at once, or I will destroy your very being!"

Once again, the being before them still stood tall, only this time another change occurred within him. He began to jitter, his body rocking back-and-forth like another landmass quake had just struck. The soldiers, still remaining in their formation, had no other choice but to back up, the general trying his best to hide his sweat from his comrades, though even his fear couldn't be hid. "What's going on with him? Hey, what's wrong?" Neptune called out.

The being's head lowered even more, and he bent down all the way to the halfway point before he simply stopped moving, looking as still as a statue. Everyone tensed up, and Kei gave the General the preparations to kill whatever the hell the thing was. Noire and Neptune began to breathe heavily, rising their blades in the air as they prepared for whatever fight they were about to endure. The whole room grew quiet, as even the rain finally began to slow down. The tension could only be cut by the sharpest knife in the whole world.

Suddenly, the whole Basilicom began to filled with the sounds of a lone snicker. Everyone looked around blindly, as it sounded as if the laughter was coming from the intercom, though Noire clearly figured what the actual source was.

It started quietly at first, barely coming off as a whisper, but as it grew louder and louder, the lights finally began to flicker with life, though unfortunately it never progressed past that stage. "Lady Black Heart, we must do something now! I don't like the looks of this!" Purple Heart mused, glaring at the being as she prepared for whatever the hell was going to be unleashed. Noire had to agree with her, but what was she to do? Whatever she decided, she could already figure that it was already too late to make a decision.

"Black Heart?"

The being suddenly lurched its head up, and its contents were revealed. The group all but witnessed its horrific features revealed for the first time, the flickering lights not helping its already creepy visage. A deathly gloom filled the air as the soldiers quickly readied their rifles, not feeling so hesitant anymore. Unfortunately, the being's laugh suddenly grew way too loud for a normal human being to bear.

It sounded so much like the ramblings of a mad man mixed with the ill-temperament of a greedy child. The strange being was twitching uncontrollably as his body fidgeting far too many times to be considered simply wrong. The lights flickered on and off quicker than ever before, and the group of normal folk had no other choice but to keep their ears protected, covering them as they begged for the sound to stop.

The glass of the Basilicom broke away from its frame, smashing into tiny pieces as it struck the wet floor below. Seeing the destruction, Kei managed to resist the sound for as long as possible, raising one of her fists up into the air as she looked at the soldiers, most importantly the general, who could barely stand at this point. "General, command your men to shoot at once!"

He barely heard her, but regardless if he could, he was going to give the order anyways. "Gentlemen, fire at will! Stop this inferno thing! Protect our Ladies!"

The soldiers grimaced as they relinquished their ears, grabbing hold of their rifles as they quickly got back into their battle formation. "Ready, men?" the General shouted as loud as he could, eyeing the screaming banshee as he gleefully smiled, knowing that the resulting blast would most certainly kill it off. Looking at the Oracle for confirmation, he got as angry as possible and shouted "Fire!"

The guns went off all at once, most hitting their target with ease as each soldier shouted at the top of their lungs. The lights were nearly seizure-inducing as the sounds of bullets ricocheting all about played amongst the mighty hall, causing even the CPU's and Candidates to flinch with every shot fired. They emptied their clips as each spent round fell carelessly to the ground. The laughter continued, though it was noticeably getting more and more abrupt, as if someone was cutting out frames within its sound. It was a sign that everything must have been connecting, right? Sure as hell better have been.

After about a full minute of rifle fire, the last bullet left its chamber, the clickings of an empty trigger being heard as each soldier stood down. The screaming sound had finally ceased, and the CPUs and Candidates looked up, breathing a sigh of relief. For once, hearing the great sound of a quiet rain was nothing short of being relaxing. All the tension in the air remained, but the cooling sense of accomplishment was starting to make its rounds.

However, that wave didn't make it far, as Kei began to notice that something was completely wrong. The being still stood tall, with nary a bullet hole being evident on its body. Its cloth-like drape remained undisturbed, while his demeanor remained as stoic as before. In fact, it looked as if he managed to dodge each and every bullet flung at him, which was essentially impossible for obvious reasons. The only things that took a hit was the wall, door, and windows behind him, which were adorned now with small crevices, some revealing the outside.

"How...how the hell did...?" Her words made everyone gasp in fear, a sound that apparently made the being laugh, this time without the need of hurting any ear. He twitched somewhat, then took a few more steps forward. The soldiers, undoubtedly fearful for their own hides, began to cower in fear; even their prized general was taken aback by this sudden development. "What the hell are you?"

Noire and Neptune nodded to one another. "Okay, one last chance! If you dare take one more step, my sword will certainly strike you down! Purple Heart, get ready!"

The Being, in its own twisted sort of way, appeared charmed by this, though that only meant that his laugh came out even more harsher. Noire was ready to scream, but Uni held her down. "Uni, unhand me this instant! This monster dies right now!"

"Sis, if he didn't get hurt by gunfire, how the hell is going to be hurt by you?"

"Because I am a CPU, something you seriously need to remember!"

"Look, what if he's leading you on? Think before you act!"

"Shouldn't I be saying that to you? You have a lot of nerve!"

Purple Heart sighed. "This is a dire situation. Please, can we save this for later?" her words were calming, but that didn't stop the angry glare the sisters were giving to one another. She looked at her younger sibling, but Nepgear shrugged, still preparing to fight if needed.

The being finally finished laughing as soon as the soldiers finished reloading. "Men, ready? Fire!"

The soldiers were about to do as ordered, but that never came to fruition. The being rose a hand high in the air, raised in such a way that he evenly divided the formation of the army perfectly in half. He made a loud roar, and as if he was flicking a bug out of the air, he merely swiped his hand in the air.

The soldiers were confused, but soon the room was filled with the screams of despair. Everyone watched in horror as one half of the soldiers were thrown into the air, smashing directly onto the walls of the Basilicom, nearly breaking the foundation apart. The other half screamed, aiming their weapons at the horrific monster before them. "W-What? Uh, everyone, fire now! Show no mercy!"

There was certainly no mercy from the being himself, as he now flicked his arm the other way, causing the other half, including the general and almost Kei herself, to suffer the same fate as the other half. The CPU's and Candidates looked on terror as the people that sworn to protect them were tossed away like useless trash.

Now that even more of her men were harmed and injured, Noire just couldn't be held back. "Purple, now!"

And thus, with little to no hesitation, Noire broke from her sisters grasp and charged at the being, flying in perfect formation with the Goddess of Planeptune. With a loud battle cry, the two of them began to slash away at the horrific soul, feeling the grand sensation of their blades cutting through him...

...only that sensation was negated when they realized that whenever they hit something solid, they were actually hitting one another's sword. "What?" Both of them exclaimed when the discovery was made. It actually looked like their blades made a successful cut, as indicated by the entrance mark, but that mark quickly vanished, leaving both of them confused.

Nodding to one another, they slashed away again, but once more discovered that, no matter what, they were essentially wasting their damn time. Any mark they possibly made, it simply vanished without a trace.

Observing it, Kei gave everyone the death eye. "Stop your attacks! Retreat back here, milady!"

Lady Purple Heart, feeling might objected, did as she was tasked, but Noire was just too stubborn to be brought down like that. With another battle cry, she continued her endless assault, slashing away with a fervor that could drive any sane person to the brink of a fatal fatigue. She had to have attacked him nearly 1000 times before Uni finally grabbed hold of her. "Sis, just stop it!"

She didn't want to believe it, but none of her attacks had any effect. Even with the power of a Goddess, her sword was as useful as a 100 guns: absolutely pointless. "Ergh...dammit!" She slammed her sword in the ground and glared directly into the eyes of the monster. "What the hell are you?" Her voice was becoming that scary calm, which made Uni flinch.

As no further attack was made, everyone was able to get a great look at the monster. Adorned by a straw-like hat, his head was nothing more than a silver-like ball, with rust already claiming the sides; he did not seem to have any hair that remained obscured. His eyes, much like those seen on the face of a fly, showed no emotion; only the bulbs behind them gave any sort of impression of life, and even that was nothing. If you want, you can say that he had a mouth, though it was more of a slightly thick line with lines vertically drawn all about; a speaker system, perhaps? There was no nose to be found, with ears also notably absent.

His body, still covered in a shawl, appeared muscular, though that brawn was tarnished as much as his head was; possibly made out of the same substance, his abdomen was covered in dirt and grime, with the small shirt-like fabric over his breast looking unkempt and dilapidated. His arms were lanky, and appeared to have some sort of support structure, just trying to keep it upright and correct. His legs were hidden behind jeans, though they were torn and dirty as well.

All-in-all, he was a complete mess, and that made it all worse.

Noire stepped back from him as she waited for it to answer. He merely looked at her and the rest of the patrons in the room, making a shrugging motion as he let out a sigh, the first normal sounding voice from him.

"I see that after so many decades, I still receive quite the reception."

His voice was professional and powerful, though with a hint of fatigue many of the older age would have. It had a bored tone, as if all the destruction did not please him in the slightest. It only served to make Noire even more angry.

"Answer my question! Who the hell are you, and why do you hurt my people?"

He looked directly at the Lastation CPU, his eternal smile never fading away. A tiny "guffaw" escaped his nonexistent lips as he folded his arms behind his back. "A powerful woman with the physique of a CPU. Tell me, for I am certain Lady Grey Heart has perished after all this time, are you her daughter?"

Noire was taken back by this, and she looked at the others, namely Kei, who shared the same motion as everyone else; a confused shrug with a disturbed stare. The man laughed at their reactions. "Forgive me for merely asking. Your outfit does not match hers, so I can only assume her family line no longer exists?"

Again, more confused stares, though Kei's appeared more shaken. Trying to save face, Noire eventually detransformed, returning to her classic Maker self. "Uh, I have no idea what the heck you're on about, but it doesn't matter. You are not welcomed here! I don't know why I can't hurt you, but when I find out, ergh..." anger took over her tall words, making her face red with fury. Uni tried her best to calm her, but the mere sight of her presence made Lastation's CPU even madder.

A hearty laugh came from the being as Lady Purple Heart returned to being a Maker. "Certainly, my fine lady," he began, this time sounding somewhat snarky, "you have already discovered that I am not truly here right now. It is but a device I made that allowed me to project my body into your Basilicom. I have powers, I have presence, but nothing can reciprocate against me."

Seeing as how Neptune had no idea what the hell that meant, Nepgear whispered in her ear, "he's a hologram."

Taking that assumption, Neptune wagged a finger at him. "Yo, fancy trickery aside, you are definitely not a friend;y neighbor! So, like, can you leave or turn yourself in? Makes things so much easier!" She tried acting coolly, though even her comedic edge had to feel some sort of vengeance after the previous scene. Even her face showed an angry emotion she rarely displayed.

The being placed a hand on his makeshift chin, looking like he was in deep thought. "Eh, I guess this entrance was a tad bit harsh, but I pull the card that I was only acting in self-defence. They aimed their guns first, after all." The way he spoke, acting like an intelligent snob, made everyone forget their fear, as their weapons were once again raised, even if doing so was completely pointless in the end.

"Stop talking! You are not welcome here, and our nation has too many problems as is! Get out now!" Kei's defensive stance was rather good, even with such hesitance.

The Being, still with no emotion, apparently was offended. "Milady, you tell me to leave in such a way, and yet you choose not to even ask for my identification?" He looked behind Noire towards the Purple Hearts, who both flinched at suddenly be brought to the spotlight (the one time Neptune would rather not have it as such). "Hm, even those of Planeptune reside here, and they too do not have the common courtesy to ask for my name? Such a mistake on the part of the leaders, no? Even presumed criminals deserve some respect!"

Noire sighed, still eying the man like a sniper towards his prey. "Uh, I do recall demanding what the hell you are, so don't start insulting me like that!"

The being laughed once more. "Ah, but what a rude way to partake in it! Oh well, I guess I should deign an answer to you."

He surprisingly backed away, which only made the CPU's prepared even more. Uni looked over at Nepgear, hoping she could find some soothing thing from it, but all she gave was a worried look.

The being crossed his arms in front of him, making an X as he lowered his head. With a quiet laugh, he suddenly shot his arms out like a bat ready to take flight. This caused the lights within the room to flicker on and off one again.

"I, milady, am none other than The Phantom. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

It was as if he timed that grand entrance, for as he said his name, the sky brightened with the sudden streak of lightning blazing across the sky. A loud crash of thunder was accompanied by the welcoming of a strong wind, which blew right into the Basilicom, making his shawl spread out. If one were to look at him in this state, you would probably see the devil looking back.

The CPU's and Candidates blocked the breeze, waiting for the sudden hellish tide to finally subside. Once it vanished, Noire shot him one of the deadliest looks a woman could give. "The Phantom? Seriously? That sounds like a rejected superhero!"

Suddenly, even the rage within them all left with the wind. Nepgear, often the most cautious and possibly closer to the planet than the rest, couldn't help but laugh. Uni, simply put, didn't even try to hide her laughter. "Wow, that's a really stupid name! At least sound threatening when you do this!"

The Phantom merely watched as all of them laughed. "The Phantom! He actually called himself The Phantom! Ow, my sides!" Neptune fell to the floor roaring with laughter. "Look, daddy-o, no one can take you seriously with a pretentious name like that! The Phantom! Call the Police! We got a Phantom on the loose!"

Noire joined her fellow Goddess in laughing. A few of the fallen soldiers didn't understand the exact appeal of this, but even they felt stupid for falling to a guy named The Phantom. It was as if all of this was some sick joke.

However, Kei Jinguji did not join in on the festivities. Unlike the others, she found no pleasure in this pretentious name; she found no solace with the others on her side. Instead, with her eyes bugged out and her mouth opened in fright, she felt all the strength within her body seep away; a rare sight occurred as an actual emotion was displayed. Noire continued to laugh, but once she saw her Oracle in such a state, she couldn't help but grow concerned. "Kei? Something wrong?"

Soon, everyone stopped as they all caught sight of her. The Oracle shook her head as The Phantom turned his attention to her as well, giving that eternal smile that could never be broken. This made the monotone-sounding girl grow even more fearful, and soon it seemed that instinct began to fill up within her. "Yo, you okay over there? Noirey, I think your Oracle-thing is busted up real good!"

Neptune's words went unheeded, however, as Kei suddenly brought a hand to her pocket, procuring a pistol from within that small crevice. Everyone, including even The Phantom himself, jumped at the sudden twist. "Woah, Kei's packin'! Nep Jr, look away!"

The Oracle aimed the gun right at the being and shot the chamber dry, screaming with each one blazing through the air. Of course none of the bullets could actually harm the man, but her rage was just too much to contain. Once her trigger finger finally cooled down, the room went silent once again.

Dusting off his shawl for whatever reason, The Phantom sighed. "Well, now that that is out of the way, I completely understand your feelings. Now, let's get this show on the road."

Neptune tried to stifle her laughs as he pointed out towards the door. "I'm assuming, if you are an able leader, that you are completely aware of the new landmass outside of Gamindustri? Forgive me for any damage I have caused; displacement can be a finicky physic." He walked over the Oracle, essentially staring her dead in the eyes, looking deep into her soul. All she could do was quiver in fright. "I actually came here to deliver to you an invitation to come visit. It would be nice to become truly acquainted in person."

Even while speaking, Noire was ready to freak out. "That was you? Urgh!" She slashed at him multiple times, causing him to laugh.

"Come now, this charade is getting old! You are merely wasting your time and energy!"

She threw her blade all the way to door, impaling it with an extreme strength. "Just shut up! Shut up shut up shut up! Why should we even go there, huh? It's obviously a trap!"

Another hearty laugh escaped him, once more causing the lights to lose it. "Oh, I can completely understand that, but my sudden appearance has already harmed you. Wouldn't like to earn some sort of comeuppance?" He walked towards the door, overseeing the destructive scene outside. "It's been a long time since I have ever seen Gamindustri. I take it your Oracle knows me in some regard. If you want to try and trust or hate me, perhaps you should ask her all the fine details."

Neptune placed a hand on her head. "Woah, woah, just slow down for a moment! All these big words...you only came here to invite us? Couldn't you just Chirp us or something? Maybe a nice letter or, oh, a smoke signal! That would get my attention!"

A shake of the head from The Phantom made her pout, crossing her arms as she looked away. "I simply wanted to see this land once again. Anyways, when you do arrive, I would prefer if you could somehow contact the other CPU's too. Would be nice to see all of the leaders, right? Since Lady Purple Heart is here, the job should be even easier!"

With that, he began to fizzle. "Goodness, what's happening?"

He looked around himself, that smile of his masking away any emotion he could've conjured. "Hm, it seems the weather is harming the device. I doubt I can remain in contact much longer in a storm as strong as this! To make it simple, visit my Landmass, preferably with everyone, and then we can coerce in peace and sanctimony! Is that easy to follow?"

His body was nearly completely gone as the connection was beginning to fade away. "Hey, don't you dare leave!" Noire yelled, desperately swiping at the air as she hoped to somehow clutch him back into her Basilicom. "You hurt my nation and Leanbox! You're going to pay for this!"

"Then come to the new Landmass, all right? Would make quite the conversation, if I do say so myself!"

As this scene was going on, a loud scream came from outside. With a bemused expression, Noire looked through The Phantom to see the great beyond. As everyone else looked on in horror, all that Lastation's CPU could see was a gigantic boot careening right towards her. She felt pain like no other as it collided against her face, smashing her cheek and sending her flying to the back, nearly crushing Neptune in the process. The being didn't even flinch as this new character suddenly whizzed right through him.

With her scarf fluttering in the wind, the Heroine of Justice herself looked quite accomplished as she finished her move. "Take that, being of all things evil! Your tyrannical fist shall slam no more! Feel the sting of justice as my mighty kick finally pulverized you to no-"

She got a good look at Noire, who was barely concious, as well as all the others, who couldn't help but look completely bewildered. Her once confident face quickly turned to being embarrassed, a bead of sweat protruding from her forehead. "Uh oh...uh, milady? You're still alive, right?"

The Phantom clapped his hands, which appeared laggy with his broken signal. "Hah, what a treat! With such vigor, I take it you must be that 'Heroine of Justice' girl the Beastmaster has been talking about!"

Nisa quickly turned to face her actual target, though getting a good look at him, she quickly grew confused. Though he was definitely evil, he was most certainly not the same man she encountered at ground zero. That just made things so much worse in the end. "Who...what is going on? Evil-doer, explain your reasoning! Why did you and your partner attack Gamindustri in such a heinous way?" Her finger was held right in front of him, her eyes filled with burning passion, her soul fearful of Noire ending her right then and there.

The Phantom tilted his head and shrugged. "Well, since The Beastmaster talks highly of you, how about you join your CPU's on their eventual trek? I would love to have you!"

As he said "love," his hologram-like device began to fully fail, and he slowly faded from existence. "I wish no more destruction, CPU's! I only want to speak with you! If you don't believe me, well, then that's on you!"

And with a laugh, he left with a static discharge. Once the last part of him disappeared, the lights within the Basilicom finally snapped back on, and every electrical application restarted successfully. Besides the broken glass and injured men, everything resumed as normal as possible.

Coughing a little bit, Neptune rose her arms in the air. "So, uh, am I the only one still asking what the pudding cup just happened? Did we, like, get dissed or something? I feel like we got dissed!"

Recovering herself, therefore shoving the Heroine of Justice away, Noire overlooked the Basilicom, her jaw still on the floor at her home being wrecked and tarnished. "I don't care what he did, he is going down! Look at this place! Look what he did!" She fell to her knees, slamming the ground in a dramatic, if somewhat epic fashion. "I'm seriously going to kill him! Kei, get whoever isn't helping the recovery and get them to that Landmass! I'll burn the whole place down if I have to!"

You could practically see the flames bellowing from her mouth; perhaps she could do all the burning herself. Her anger made the two Candidates fearful, and once again Uni grabbed hold of her sister. "Sis, calm down! This sucks, I know, and I want to freaking shoot that grin off his face, but didn't you already say that this is a trap? Think!" she knew that yelling at her would only send her further down the hole, but she really needed to keep this issue from getting any worse.

The CPU of Lastation shook her off, standing once more as she picked a soldier up; no one was killed, thankfully, but they were definitely not fit to do any battle from here on out. "Ma'am, I'm so sorry I failed-"

"Don't say anything more! Just heal up as quick as possible, okay?"

The man nodded, though once Noire let him go, he immediately fell back to the ground out of breath. "Jeez, how did this happen? What the hell is his problem? I swear, if this is ASIC..."

Nisa shook her head. "No, it can't be, milady! These people...they're too different to be them! Way too different! We need to stop them soon and now if want a chase to prevent any more evil deeds from being committed!" She patted her chest hard as she could, joining Nepgear in salvaging any soldier that was still able to move. "I saw the destruction firsthand. They really mean business!"

"Dang, you cereal? Man, I thought we would take more of an intermission before our next adventure! Dang fanfic writers continuing the plot so quickly!" Neptune slumped down on the floor, making her sister sigh.

"Goodness Neptune, please try to look more serious! This is really bad!" She patted a soldier on the back as she requested a maid that ran in to get some water. As she helped out, she looked at Nisa and Kei. In reality, she wanted to ask the Heroine of Justice what she meant by "partner," but the flabbergasted Oracle was really worrying her. "Miss Kei, is everything all right?"

Even Neptune had to chirp in. "Yeah, you never display character like that in the games! Do you know him? Is he your old beau or something? Gotta say, you got a weird taste!"

Once she finished talking, the Oracle turned to both of them, her eyes still filled with fear. "Lady Purple Heart, call Histoire right now! This is an emergency!"

Noire was stunned by that. "Why are you so anxious about this? Yeah, it's awful, but you never lose your cool!"

"Don't waste any more time. Just call her! Now!"

* * *

From _Neptunian Theory: The Ultimate Plot of Celestia:_

_"...One day I shall return, as I have stated numerous times, but I question what everyone is going to say when I arrive. It is a dark task that I must fulfill, but they must understand it, right? It's either I complete it, or we'll just be doomed from the get-go..."_


End file.
